A Beacon of Hope in a Castle of Ice
by NightKrawler88
Summary: Ruby's been hiding her feelings for Weiss. What happens when the Weiss Cold Ice Queen finds out? Even more importantly, what happens to follow? Are the feelings returned? Taken place after Season 2: Episode 1 Iceflower action, with a slowly budding Bumbleby to compliment. Cover by VnixxiR.
1. A Beacon of Hope

_So, this is my first fanfic ever. Whoever is reading this Author's Note is probably here for the first time, in which case this is while my story is already labeled as complete. For others, they came back to read over and are keeping track with 'Part II' as I will refer to that as._

_I would like to thank **Gorsouul** for taking time to go through each chapter as I send them to him and revise them as thoroughly as possible. It means a lot to have my first story 'Remastered' (I guess that's the right word.)_

_Anyway, whether this be your first time here or not. Please enjoy!_

* * *

_**Chapter 1 – A Beacon of Hope.**_

"Okay, so this is how it went down. I was at this dust shop, it was called 'From Dust Till Dawn,' yeah, it's a very original name I know. Not sure what went on, but I'm listening to some music and this guy, about six inches to a foot taller than me comes by and taps me on the shoulder. I turn around and he's just standing there, gesturing me to take off my headphones. Well, they weren't mine, they belonged to the store. Y'know, on one of those little music setup areas. Okay, okay, okay, let me get back on track".

I begin to giggle, clearing my throat and attempt to make my voice sound husky, a little like Arnold Schwarzenegger. "I said, put your hands in the air, now". I can hear Pyrrha and Jaune laughing across the table to my right, from my impression of Torchwick's goon. To my left, a loud giggle-snort erupts from Nora, with a face-palming Ren right next to her.

"So, I play it smooth, I give him a little eyebrow raise and ask, 'Are you . . . robbing me?' and after he answers, I give him a super kick down the aisle and he goes collapsing underneath a few dust tubes". I give a triumphant smile as I tell the story of how I took out five of Torchwick's thugs with my sweetheart Crescent Rose at my side, eventually granting me a meeting with Glynda Goodwitch and Professor Ozpin, and getting enrolled into Beacon Academy.

I woke up extremely early this morning and decided to sneak out the room to get a breath of air since Weiss was asleep underneath what she referred to my bed as a 'terrible threat to life and limb' and Blake was out cold across the room asleep on her bed with Yang snoring up a storm a few feet above. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't bump into Team Juniper taking an early morning jog. I should probably make Weiss and Blake jog with Yang sometime. I reach into my black jogging pants and pull out my phone, spotting that it's about fifteen minutes until the rest of my team wakes up, and more importantly it was 75 minutes until breakfast!

"Okay, I need to start heading back to the room, everyone else will be up soon, and I still need to get my uniform on. Plus, I don't think Goodwitch will be happy seeing me in the cafeteria with Team Juniper after the food fight incident that happened yesterday".

I give a weak chuckle and begin scratching the back of my head. Goodwitch gave all of us a stern scolding after Professor Ozpin turned his back and went back to his office, and I can still feel my ears ringing from it all.

"Well, I hope to see you again soon, Ruby and thank you for the wonderful story to pass the time." Pyrrha says with the soothing enthusiasm she naturally possesses. _I wonder if Jaune will ever ask her out, _I think to myself, seeing the short haired blond and the fiery redhead begin a conversation as I make my exit. It takes me ten minutes to walk back to the dorm room and get inside without making any noise, aside from the zipping sound of my key entering the keyhole to unlock the door. As I close the door behind me I can hear the shower running, and gaze about to see a lack of blond hair on the set of beds opposite the room to mine. _Guess Yang is already in the shower_. I decide to go to my bed and lay down until Yang gets out. It won't be anytime soon considering Yang takes a decade to dry up her hair.

I walk over towards Weiss' bed, getting ready to hop up onto mine, but with five minutes left until the alarm clock wakes up the W &amp; B of the team, I decide it's not worth climbing up onto bed and trying to be idle for five minutes. Instead I look down at Weiss. The petite form laying on her back with a smooth white sheet covering up the nightgown that keeps the heiress' body embraced. The sweet, innocent face and flawless flesh of the snow haired heiress always makes my heart melt. It took me halfway through the first semester to realize that I had feelings for the always scolding Ice Queen, and it took me another quarter of the semester to realize those feelings were much, much, much more than friendship.

I drop down to a knee, trying to get a closer look at my sleeping crush. Those small, sweet lips pursed in the perfect O-shape teases me to no end. No, they're begging me to lean in and kiss them. I can suddenly feel my heart pounding within my red tank top. I want to kiss Weiss. I want to confess my feelings to her. Even yesterday during the food fight I felt a stake go through my heart when Weiss flew through the air and into one of the pillars in the cafeteria (Courtesy of Nora's Melon Hammer).

_But what if she rejects me? What if she doesn't like me? Or doesn't like girls in general? Wait, she can't reject me if she's asleep. She won't mind. I mean, she can't mind if she doesn't know about it, right? Oh, but if she wakes up she'll never forgive me! _I continue to argue with myself. Finally deciding I would go through with my plan, I begin to lean in, my eyes half open and my lips pursing together to meet Weiss'. The cool breath Weiss exhales brushes over my lips, making me pause and shiver.

_I can't do this, this isn't right. Damn it, Ruby Rose! What were you thinking!_ I close my eyes and scold myself for what I was about to do. Then, as if on cue I can hear the alarm clock begin to echo within the room.

_Well, at least now the temptation will be gone with Weiss being awake_. I let out a relaxed sigh, and open my eyes, seeing the soft, crystal blue eyes staring at me in confusion, which quickly changes to anger.

"You DOLT! What are you doing!?" I hear Weiss scream. At this point I'm completely paralyzed in place. I hope Yang gets out of the bathroom soon. She may need to get me out of this.


	2. A Castle of Ice

_**POV: WEISS SCHNEE**_

_**Chapter 2 – A Castle of Ice.**_

Ugh, that bed will be the death of me, I state within the sanctuary of my mind. I can hear Ruby's threat to life-and-limb of a bed creak and sway over my head. I open one eye and gaze about. It is pitch black still, though I don't feel too tired so it must be somewhere between five and six in the morning.

Is she tossing and turning again? I bet is that dream of her destroying a pack of Beowolves again. My thoughts of a sleeping crimson-haired, scythe-wielding, silver-eyed girl are put to rest when I spot the dark figure dropping from the bed above and scooting out the room. I quickly close my eye almost completely, letting me see the figure without giving a way to see my crystal blue eyes, and thus maintain the illusion that I am fast asleep.

"Guess I'll take a walk," I can hear team RWBY's leader say. The shortest of the four grabs her set of keys and disappears out the room.

Since when does Ruby Rambunctious Rose get up THIS early? My thoughts aside, I shimmy myself underneath the comfort of my blanket and drift back into my dreamland while recalling the event of my first encounter with Beacon's very own Ruby Rose.

* * *

What was that sound? I thought to myself prior to turning around to see some of my suitcases flying to an apex height and falling back to the ground.

"What are you doing!?" I look down at a silver-eyed girl. She had a sweet face and slightly messy hair that agreed with the rest of her outfit in a commoner sense of fashion. The black outfit with a sensible combat skirt which was outlined with a lovely shade of dark red that matched the inside of my favorite white jacket made me scoff that such a beautiful color could be ruined by the sloppy dressing of this girl. The red cape-hood combo did not improve my first impression of this clumsy girl either.

"Sorry!", I hear her shout almost instantly. I must admit, she appears to be a sweet, somewhat naïve girl, but she has no idea what could have happened if one of those cases burst open, and I give her my opinion of her klutziness very well.

"Sorry? Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused!?" I snap at the small form below me. Those silver eyes break from my eyesight, and for the first time I am gazing at this girl for what she is: A nervous wreck trying to get herself through what appears to be her first day at Beacon Academy as well, but I couldn't care less. I was brought up to make sure anyone who make a mistake in my sight will be told, and knows there will be no tolerance from the heiress of the world-renowned Schnee Dust Company.

"Uh . . ." is all I hear from this girl still on the floor while she reaches for one of the many scattered cases on the floor and holds it out to me.

Really? Is this girl serious? Of all the absent-minded, empty-headed, clumsy girls I could bump into, I have the unfortunate luck to be stuck with her. My immediate response is to snatch the case from her, opening it up to check its contents and take out a vial of red dust into my hand. I tell her of what these are. Her mouth still open in what I assume to be awe.

She's never seen dust before? Has she been living under a rock!?, I shout to myself. I see her sighing and closing her eyes, only angering me more as I wave my hand, forgetting the red dust vial which was in it.

"Are you even listening to me!?" I scream at her. Then I realize what is about to happen. A gaze out of the corner of my eye grants me the outline of the almost completely see-through cloud of red dust.

_You better not you…._

"Achoo!" is the last thing I hear exit her lips prior to a small spark that spreads and advances towards me in milliseconds. I immediately toss the vial of red dust away in panic, not wanting it to take my entire arm with it, and also charge my aura to defend from the small blast radius while also closing my eyes to avoid the sharp spark in light from the fiery firework display of lightning and ice.

Wait, why does her sneeze smell like cookies and unattended morning breath? Why does the dust explosion sound like an alarm clock?

* * *

Ugh . . . she's come a long way since then, but she's still . . . I say to myself while opening my eyes and seeing the Crimson Fighter centimeters from my face. I stare in complete and utter confusion, the lidded eyes soon opening and a quick exchange of blue and silver commences.

"You DOLT! What are you doing!?", I scream. Ruby's response is to stare at me just like she did on our first encounter, though this time she is the one with the height advantage.

"Uh . . ." the black and crimson haired girl manages to stammer out, making a slow retreat from my bedside. Yes, MY bedside.

Why the hell was she so close? Why was she breathing on me? What is wrong with this girl!?, I scream to myself before sitting up, never taking my eyes off of Ruby.

"I, I can explain, Weiss. It's not what it looks like! I swear!" Her words make me pause and picture the situation from a third person's perspective. I was sleeping, she was right above me with closed eyes . . . seems like a scene from Sleeping Beau-.

My eyes widen with the realization of what was about to transpire. I reach down to brush a hand over my chest. My nightgown was slightly wrinkled, but the spaghetti straps of it held it up just high enough to cover the top of my relatively small bust. I clench my hand into a knuckle, leaving it above my left breast, but also a tad closer to my left shoulder. My heart was pounding, but why?

My silence was nerve-racking to her. Her stammers and attempts to form any sort of words all results in grotesque sounds that supersede that of a caveman.

"Start, explain, NOW", I demand of her. From my image of the situation, there is only one thing that springs to mind from that action, but unfortunately that can't be it. Yes, 'unfortunately.' I have a crush on Ruby, my team leader. A girl that is two years younger than me, and is the most talkative, annoying, naïve, hyperactive, childish, combat loving Dolt. But there was one thing I could say that gave me a slight joy every time I scolded her. She was my dolt, nobody else called her that, and I took it on as a form of pet name for her to please the parts of my mind that wanted to confess my affections towards Ruby.

"Well . . . I, uh. You see, what had happened was that . . . well". Ruby keeps her massive stutter streak alive, clearly fumbling to explain the odd situation.

"It doesn't take three hours to say what happened, DOLT". There it is again, that adorable puppy face of hers each time I call her a dolt. It's a guilty pleasure of mine to see that look, but nobody else needs to know that.

"I was just . . ." and with that a loud click is heard as the bathroom door opens, to the teams Blonde Brute entering the room, with a wet and unattended mane, which was very out of character for Yang.

"Hehehe, can't pull a simple prank for me without getting caught, eh, Sis?", Yang interrupts, that comment earning an angry quirk of a brow from me, directed right to the Blonde Brawler.

"Y-yeah. Sorry, Yang", Ruby whimpers out, keeping her gaze low from mine.

"And what is this master prank that you had to ask Ruby to do for you, Yang? You're very capable of making my life a living nightmare with your unimaginable one-track mind, and lack of common decency and courtesy for me".

"Well, I had to go take a shower, and I wanted Ruby to grab your phone and bring it into the bathroom so I could switch out your SD card with a backup of mine with well, let's say enough pictures that it would put you into a coma. It's my 'Happy Hour' montage."

"You disgust me, Yang" I growl underneath my breath, and quickly return my gaze down to Ruby.

"And why would you even agree to assist your sister in such a deed. I thought I was your partner; don't we work to watch each other's backs?"

_I swear, Ruby Rose, if you tell me that you were bribed, and I already know what the bribe is, I will murder you._

I gaze over Ruby's much more relaxed posture now that Yang is present. I look up for a moment, spotting the bathroom door closed and Blake missing from the bedside. She always was a sneaky opportunist.

"Well, Yang kinda br-"

"Blackmailed her. If she didn't help me I was gonna send a few pictures to Jaune that would make him turn as red as Pyrrha's hair." I look down to see Ruby red in the face. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on those pictures. Wait, what am I thinking!? I shake my head, trying to smack away the upcoming thoughts of indecency of what I imagine those pictures to be.

Too late.

I clasp my thighs together firmly and stand up with my fists clenched, holding a stern gaze between the two.

"Ruby, don't you ever attempt to assist your sister in her poor attempts at entertainment. You lead this team, not your sister. As for you, Yang Xiao Long, I expect you to not include your sister in your troubling activities. She has enough to deal with being related to you!"

"Weiss, you know I'm adopt-", Ruby begins to cut in, and a stern, piercing gaze that I've managed to nearly perfect gets her to quiet herself in that instant.

Something's up, and whatever it is, it seems Yang knows about it. I will need to either get the information from Ruby while Yang is not around or I could ask Blake. Either way this will not be easy. I sigh, deciding I will play along with their lie for now.

"Look, once Blake gets out of the bathroom I will be going in next, and I will take that as your apology for being misguided by your sister." The moment I mention Blake getting out of the bathroom, the two turn their heads to see the Faunus in disguise gone, and the bathroom door shut and locked.

"Okay, Weiss. I'm sorry," Ruby squeaks out to me. Those soft, silver eyes are shaking, clearly on the verge of tears, though I've scolded Ruby much worse than that without her feeling this level of depression and defeat. Something is up, and I know very well what Yang said is a lie, and my own desires are far too outrageous to be true as well. So what is wrong with Ruby?

"Just forget about it. Dolt". I whisper the last word while standing up. Then I brush by the two sisters towards a now opening bathroom door,a tired Blake exiting with her school uniform on, and slightly swollen eye bags.

"You look terrible" I say as I pass by Blake. My tone is harsh when I say those words, although I meant that for her to realize she needs some sleep soon.

"Well, your face is red and you need to have dryer dreams.", Blake counters in a whisper so Ruby and Yang cannot hear. The comment makes my eyes go wide and rush quickly into the bathroom. Once inside I can hear Yang complaining that her hair is still wet and asking Ruby to dry it since I commandeered the restroom. I lift up my nightgown and look at the slight dark patch on my white and red-lined underwear.

"Ruby, why can't you just read my mind, you dolt", I whisper and proceed to take a cold shower and get my mind focused on what will be happening today in Beacon.


	3. Sunflower on Ice

_**POV: YANG XIAO LONG**_

_**Chapter 3 – Sunflower on Ice**_

I heard Ruby enter the room about five minutes ago. Thankfully I was already out the shower and working on getting dressed in case someone needed to use the bathroom. I take forever to dry my hair, but hey, I'm not as inconsiderate as Weiss believes me to be. I just love to bother the Snow Heiress. After getting my yellow jogging shorts on and tying the black strings as I would do my shoelaces, I giggle. No matter how many times I do the whole 'bunny ear' knot, I can't help but think of Blake's ears instead.

"You DOLT! What are you doing?" I can hear Weiss scream from the other side of the door.

Great, here I thought it would be a nice peaceful morning, and Weiss is already at my sister's neck. What did Ruby do that Weiss had to make suuuuuuuch a big deal out of? I sigh and lean against the wall next to the door to listen to what is going on. I can hear Ruby stuttering, but with Weiss yelling at her I'm not surprised. If Weiss doesn't calm down now I will melt her with one punch! I don't need Ember Celica when I can just burn her with a touch. I love being a walking heater. It's awesome!

"Well . . . I, uh. You see, what had happened was that . . . well", I can hear my sister stammer.

What did she do? Why can't she say it? Wait, if Ruby can't explain… The only thing Rubes wouldn't be able to explain to Weiss is that she has a thing for her… and that means...

"It doesn't take three hours to say what happened, DOLT", Weiss screams at Ruby. As if on cue, I exit the bathroom door, just in time to save my sister's hide from more of Weiss' Bad Cop interrogation method.

"Heheh, can't pull a simple prank for me without getting caught, eh, Sis?". Damn, I'm so smooth. Who needs books when you can crush heads with bare fists, crush hearts with awesome looks and think of excuses on the fly for any situation? This gal right here, that's who, but first let me get Ruby out of this…grossing out Weiss should do the trick. Weiss is prodding further in my supposed prank; I need to think of something fast. Oh! That's perfect!

"Well, I had to go take a shower, and I wanted Ruby to grab your phone and bring it into the bathroom so I could switch out your SD card with a backup of mine with well, let's say enough pictures that it would put you into a coma. It's my 'Happy Hour' montage."

Oddly enough, I do have a Happy Hour montage on my phone, but those pictures never go out to anyone. I've spent my share of months gathering a few pictures I would never trade for the world, but Weiss would expect me to have such a collection and doesn't care. Ruby thinks I'm just bailing her out of a situation, so this plays off too perfectly in Team Sunflower's favor! After my mental patting of my own back, I continue to listen in on the conversation between Ruby and Weiss, needing to bail Ruby out of another 'Cookie Bribe' excuse since she's used it far too many times in the past, and instead go with an excuse claiming I blackmailed her. Weiss seems to bite on it, and after a calming in the room, goes into the bathroom after Blake (who I didn't even know went in there until Weiss pointed it out) exits.

"Ugh! My hair is soaked, Rubes! Get my hairdryer from my drawer and dry it up, please! Ice Queen stole the bathroom from me!", I say pretty loud, trying to sound a little dramatic, but not overdo it. As Ruby gets my hairdryer and plugs it in, I look over to Blake who seems really unamused and fatigued.

She needs a catnap and a half. Heh, 'Catnap' I love puns.

With the sound of my super-powered hairdryer, I tug Ruby more towards my side so I can talk with her. "Ruby, you're going to need to tell Weiss you like her sooner or later, and I'm not gonna always be there to cover for you y'know".

Ruby lets out a defeated sigh and nods her head. That puppy-dog look of hers always reminds me that no matter how badass of a Grim killer she is, she is still my sister who doesn't want to be the 'Bees Knees', but a 'normal girl with normal knees'.

"I know, Yang. But what if she doesn't like me? What if she's straight, or even worse, she's homophobic? If Weiss starts looking at me like she does with the White Fang, I don't think I'll survive." Ruby's tone drops, though somehow she still keeps a steady hand with the hairdryer, moving it along at an even pace. She was always too kind for her own good, putting others ahead of herself in nearly every aspect.

"Look, Weiss won't be treating you differently. I promi-"

"I don't want you threatening her, Yang! I don't need a repeat of my sophomore year at Signal."

_Do you really need to bring that up Ruby? Seriously?_

"Hey, he was asking for it. Everybody wanted to knock his teeth out for being a jerk to you. I just happened to be the only one who wasn't scared of the twerp". I nod my head in triumph. I'm such a good sister.

"Yang…". I can hear the lack of amusement in my sister's voice. "You blindsided him with a right cross and sent him flying into the varsity football team, who then beat him up for 'not watching where he was going', and don't forget the fact that he was two years younger than you as well! He was in my grade!"

_Details, details. I'm totally the best sister ever._

"If you say so, Rubes. Anyway, you need to tell her soon. I'm getting tired of bailing you out, and Blake's lack of sleep makes her an easy interrogation target for Weiss. So, either you tell Ice Queen or one of us will, and knowing Weiss, she would rather hear it from her partner instead of having to go snooping about and fight it on her own time".

"Ugh, Fine! Give me a month!"

"A week"

"Two weeks"

"A week"

"Ten days"

"Weiss! Ruby has something she wants-"

"Okay, okay, a week it is!", Ruby says with an audible puff of her cheeks.

"Good, seven days from now you won't have big sis covering up for you anymore, and if Weiss questions me after that time I will gladly answer." I grin. It is always so easy to get my way when it comes to Ruby. I know exactly which buttons to push.

"Fine, but if I become miserable and crawl under Blake's bed to die, it's on you."

"Deal."

Ruby and I spend the rest of the time talking about the schedule for the day. With my hair mostly dried I take the hairdryer and decide the rest is easy for me to do myself. Weiss came out the shower a few minutes ago and is already in her uniform and ready to go, as is Blake. After getting the rest of my hair dried up I change from my band shirt and jogging shorts into the school's uniform – white shirt, tan vest, brown jacket, and a red plaid skirt that stops about half to two thirds a way down my thigh. Though, since we're allowed to 'customize' our uniforms I always put on two yellow bracelets right over my wrists to hold the cuffs of the shirt and vest in place. Makes them look like a super lightweight version of my Ember Celica in their hidden form. After I'm pretty much dressed and ready to go, I see Ruby darting out of the bathroom with an undershirt, and a pair of leggings on. She refuses to wear stockings like me and Blake, so she goes with leggings, a short pair of socks, and then her combat boots. Leave it to my sister to think up such a weird combination, but it works for her so I can't say a thing.

"Alright, well I'm hungry. I'm going to go get some breakfast. Blake, coming with?", I say with a smile. Blake doesn't seem too interested in standing around watching Ruby zip around the room getting dressed.

"Sure," she answers. Always the one to be short, sweet, and straight to the point.

"Come on, Ruby. Your semblance may be speed, but you excel at wasting time!"

I leave the room with Blake, leaving Ruby trying to hurry and dress, and Weiss rushing the youngling of the team.

"Weiss isn't stupid, Yang. You know she will find out the truth one way or another", I hear Blake whisper after we get a few doors down from the room.

"Yeah, I know. I gave Ruby a week. After that I won't be covering for her anymore. Let's see what happens."

"Only a week?", Blake asks with a shake of her head. "You're asking for the impossible to be done. How long did it take Ruby to realize she liked Weiss in the first place? Or even gather up the courage to tell me?"

"Don't remind me. She told you first, and not her own flesh and blood." I sigh, my eyes must have flashed red because Blake gave my shoulder a quick tap, which had become an unspoken gesture between me and Blake to calm down and relax.

"Well, I listen and I don't blabber or tease her about these things. Maybe you should listen to me and take lessons on how to get people to confide in you". Blake and her attempts to 'de-Yangify' me! Teasing Ruby is my job as an older sister, and it's the best job there is, although I will admit; the pay sucks.

"Nah, I just want Ruby to confide in me. She's my sister after all. I don't want half of Beacon's secrets; I'll overload." We're almost at the cafeteria. Peeking in through one of the tall windows, I can see Team JNPR lounging about. Nora is tossing grapes in the air and catching them in her mouth. How typical. Ren was half asleep, though paying attention to Nora's actions. I have no idea how he does it, honestly. Jaune and Pyrrha are sitting at the very edge of the table, having a nice conversation. Though with Jaune's weird arm movements, I'm guessing it's about his fighting form.

"Oh, didn't want to bother you with a silly thought. But was it smart of you to leave Ruby with the person who wants to interrogate her for answers of why she was about to kiss Weiss while Weiss was sleeping?" My head turns immediately. This time I know my eyes are red, and I can feel my body radiate a decent amount of heat.

"Ruby was about to what while Weiss was sleeping!?"

"Kiss," answers Blake with slight boredom in her voice. Even with me clearly angry, she is the one to just shrug it off like it's an everyday thing. Actually, come to think of it, me being angry IS an everyday thing.

"So you were up when it happened?"

"I've grown used to your insufferable snoring. When I don't hear it, everything is too quiet." Blake shrugged. We were now at the door to the cafeteria, but neither of us went in since holding this conversation in front of Team JNPR would end in rumors among all our friends in seconds. Well, it was really only Nora who was the super loud mouth, but that crazy girl hears everything.

"While it's nice to know my snoring keeps you fast asleep, I can't believe Ruby almost kissed Weiss. You saw it all?", I ask, with clear disbelief in my voice.

"Yup. From my view I thought she had, but with Weiss' reaction, it didn't happen. Ruby was kneeling bedside and pretty much looming over Weiss. Ruby probably started daydreaming and followed temptations." Blake has a point, but that word 'temptation' doesn't sit well with me. At least when I think of myself. Temptation for me leads to drinks, dating a different guy every week and taking on underground fight clubs, but Ruby is nothing like me. At least I hope not when it comes to those things.

"I can't believe she tried to kiss Weiss! Is Ruby asking for a death wish? That would be the ABSOLUTE WORST way for Weiss to find out how Ruby feel!" I say, bouncing from normal to high volume. "I mean, seriously. If I wasn't there to help Ruby earlier then she would have been done for. Weiss could interrogate Ruby at . . . any . . . time . . ."

"That is what I was saying earlier, blonde for brains", Blake says with that slightly amused little smirk of hers.

"Shit, shit, shit. I need to get back there now!", I scream before taking off back to the dorm at a full sprint.

"I'll save you a seat", Blake responds just as I dart away. She really pushes my buttons with her sarcasm at the worst times of the day. Why couldn't she straight up say to me, 'Oh, you should go back to the room. Weiss will interrogate Ruby if you do not.'?

Okay, quickest way back... Past the fountain, up staircase B, and around Velvet's room. Got it, I say in my mind, mapping out the area before pushing myself to a fifth gear. Running past the fountain into the long hallway of the dorm, I look at each room door as I pass by, spotting one without a card scanner and immediately pull my right up to my neck, balling it into a fist, and shoulder charges right through the door with an echoing thud.

"Almost there, Rubes! Just hold on!", I scream, running up three flights of stairs to the fourth floor, turning left after yanking the door open (and probably loosening the hinges). I spot the oncoming intersection, noting a small sign on one of the doors at the corner of the hall indicating it is Velvet's room.

Okay, turn here... I'm going way too fast for that, I realize just as I'm coming up to the corner. I turn down the new hallway as best I can, needing to jump in the air and kick off of the wall to keep my momentum. It's a straight way from here to the door. As a matter of fact, the door is still open. That's a good sign at least. I slow down to a jog, then a fast walking pace. When I reach the door I peek inside to make sure everything is okay before I make an embarrassing entrance, as well as think of an excuse as to why I came back.

"G-get off me, Weiss! You're hurting me!", I can hear my sister yell. I peek my head further into the room, looking around the edge of the door to see Ruby pinned to the floor with Weiss on top. Weiss is on top of Ruby. One hand on the floor, the other . . . on Ruby.

My eyes open wide, seeing how close their heads are. I mean, they aren't 'close close,' but close enough to make my blood boil! I grit my teeth and push the door as hard as I can, sending it swinging into the wall, and gathering the attention of my sister and Weiss, the apparent seductress.

"What the hell is going on here!?", I ask, stepping towards the two. I can see Weiss lowering against Ruby, taunting me with how close she is to my sister.

_Oh, she's begging to die today!_

"Y-yang! I can explain, I swear!", Weiss screams when I reach arms distance. I reach down, grabbing the heiress by the back of the collar and tugging her off my sister – my innocent little sister.

"Y-yang! It's not what it looks like, I swear!" she screams, though apparently the last time that was said, it was exactly what it looked like and I played accomplice in getting the liar out of trouble.

"That's what they all say!", I scream, letting go of the back of Weiss' collar, and grabbing the front before pushing the frightened, fragile female against a wall. I can see the reflection of my flaming aura in her blue eyes, followed by several streaks of tears when I wind up my right hand for one of my infamous right cross punches. I flex my hand and clench it into a tight knuckle. Each of my fingers lets out a loud crack as I clench each one in a swift order, going from my pinky to my index finger.

"Yang, d-don't. N-nothing happened. I-I-I swear!" The calm demeanor of the heiress was gone, and it should be. I flare my aura, making the room heat up from my presence. Just as I begin to bring my arm down, I feel a firm hold on my bicep, and another grip on my hair.

_WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND IS TOUCHING MY HAIR!?_

My sanity at this point is gone, and out of instinct I let go of Weiss, swinging my now free left hand to hook whoever thought it was a smart idea to lay their hands on my yellow locks. My fist travels faster than my eyes, and I soon regret having the habit of swinging first and asking questions later, because within the next second I can see Ruby flying across the room, and slamming into a wall with an echoing thud.

"S-sis . . . S-sis . . . I-I didn't. I thought..." I stare in shock as Ruby's body remains against the wall, clinging to the hard surface before it lets her go, to collapse on the floor.

"R-Ruby!" I hear a voice. A faint voice. It must be Weiss. She's right behind me, but . . . I can't think straight. I just punched my sister. Not just punched, but I knocked my sister out with close to the same amount of power I hit Junior with during my first visit to his club. I horse around with Ruby all the time, but I would never hit her with my full force. I could kill her.

Kill? I could kill Ruby…I could have killed Ruby. Did I kill Ruby? Oh my god, is my sister alive!?" I quickly dart over towards the little crimson warrior, whose head is now on Weiss' lap. I can see her small chest moving with swift and short motions. The right side of her face is partially swollen, and thin burns making out several odd, ovular shapes, which I quickly realize is the outline of my knuckles.

"Rubes . . . I-I'm sorry"


	4. From Melting Point to Absolute Zero

_**POV: RUBY ROSE**_

_**Chapter 4 – From Boiling Point to Absolute Zero.**_

"Ruby, listen to me. I'm not mad. I am as calm as can be, and just want you to explain what happened earlier. It was weird, but I am sure you have a completely rational explanation. I know I can be hard to deal with at times, but with a little breathing space I am back to maintaining my calm demeanor. So if you could listen to me for just a moment. I would like to-"

Weiss is being extremely polite for some reason. It's scary and awkward. She's talking right now, but my mind is so scattered, I can't pay attention. Yang left the room not even half a minute ago and here I am with Weiss trying to find out about the situation from nearly an hour ago. I figured if Yang saw me rushing to follow her, then she'd decide to wait, but she's so stupid at times. Weiss is such a sneaky opportunist too. I've told Yang this before. She promised she would have my back for another week, but yet again my sister decides to screw with my hopes.

"-and with that said, I apologize for my spontaneous rage, along with the several insults I directed to your barbaric brawler of a sister." Wow, Weiss has been talking this entire time? She must really feel bad for earlier, but she shouldn't. If that alarm clock didn't go off, who knows what would have happened? Well, I know who wouldn't have known.

"It's fine, Weiss. You don't need to apologize. I was in the wrong," I look down, letting out a loud sigh, mumbling the last two words under my breath "as usual." I walk into the bathroom, fixing the collar of my shirt and making sure my cape is clipped to the uniform properly.

Everything looks A-okay. Now, all I need to do is get out the door. I look up from the reflection of my collar, to my silver eyes. Looking closely I see a glisten trail from the outer corner of each eye and down my cheek. Somewhere along the way the glisten changes to a chalky-white and stains my cheek.

_When was I crying? Is that why Weiss is being a little careful with her words?_

"Ruby." I jump, looking over Mirror Ruby's shoulder and staring into the crystal blue eyes of Mirror Weiss. "It takes two to converse, Ruby Rose. I am trying to apologize, explain my standpoint on the situation, and reach a peaceful resolve before your sister eviscerates me, and my partner remains upset at me for a faulty miscommunication between the two of us."

Why does Weiss need to use such fancy words?, I think to myself. I hate it when she talks with such complexity, but it has gotten to the point that I understand her without a problem, despite not knowing half of the words she uses.

"Okay, Weiss. Look, you don't need to apologize. We already covered that. We already reached a peaceful resolve. Yang isn't going to evaporate you, or whatever it is that word you said was, and I am not upset at you. I'm just upset." I look at the reflection, seeing more tears swell up in my eyes, and Weiss approaching me from behind.

_Stay back Weiss, please. You just don't understand. I'm not upset because I hate you. I'm upset because I really like you!_

I can feel Weiss' arms slide around my hips and rest on my torso. She pulls me against her, resting her chin on top of my head. She is in her high heels, and I am barefoot, making our slight size difference a bit larger than it already is. She slides a hand into one of my pockets, pulling out a small pack of tissue.

_How did she know that was in there?_

"It would be just like you to not touch the pack of tissue I gave you to clean your hands of chocolate since you eat cookies all day long." _Well, that explains how she knew_.

I see her pale digits reach up with a folded piece of paper from the mirror's reflection and proceed to wipe away my two streaks of tears, leaving just the white trails of salt on my cheeks.

"You need to pick yourself up, Ruby Rose. You're clumsy, careless, childish, rambunctious, and as obnoxious as your sister. Your sugar diet is unbearable. You refuse to see the death threat your bed imposes on me. Your table manners are the equivalent of Sun's. And you are without a doubt the world's largest dolt." I listen to the barrage of insults, letting out a sigh as Weiss yet again rubs it in that I am a failure as a huntress, and as a person. What I don't get is why she's being so soft with her words when all she does is throwing insult after insult my way?

"But, if I can pull one positive thing out of all of that," Weiss begins, and I look into the mirror, looking at those crystal blue eyes. The eyes that are normally filled with a stern expression, or unmoved by emotion. The eyes that remain firm like the shade of blue they are named after. For once I see Weiss on the verge of tears. Not anything like how she was during our game in the library yesterday after the food fight. She was crying then from Yang toying with her and giving her a false sense of confidence, as Yang usually does. Though those tears were of frustration, these tears are not. They appear much more sincere than that. Enough to make me attempt to speak, and fumble over my words as I've been managing to do all morning.

"The one positive thing is the fact that you're MY dolt." Weiss gives me a soft smile in the mirror and then drags her fingers from my torso, to my hips, and pulls her hands free from my body, leaving me in shock as I digest those words.

She must mean that in a friendly way. We're partners. Though that doesn't explain her tears. Wait, why did she leave? Weiss! Where are you going!?" It takes me a moment to realize I am screaming to her, but only in my mind. I shake my head quickly and peek out the bathroom door to see Weiss with her bag in hand and proceeding to the door to leave. I reach my hand out, trying to call out to her, but my mind is too fogged to form words. My extended arm is also shaking. The doorknob is turned and I can hear the door click as the deadlatch is released from the hole in the frame that keeps the door locked and secured.

_No, Weiss. Now you have questions to answer._

With those words in mind I do what I do best. I dash. My eyes remain focused on the hand pulling the door open, and within a fraction of a second I am next to Weiss, holding that hand with the door barely cracked open. I close my eyes and let out a long sigh. My body is listening to me again, finally. I can feel a flex in Weiss' wrist, and at first I think I am hurting her, but when I open my eyes I can see her soft, delicate fingers releasing the doorknob before retreating into a lightly clenched fist.

"Weiss," I whisper to her, placing my other hand on her shoulder to push her behind the doorway and an extra few feet away. "What do you mean by . . . 'your dolt'?" My gaze stays on her hand, waiting and pleading for an answer. All I can do is stand there, staring at Weiss' soft, slender fingers. The same fingers that grips her Multi-Action Dust Rapier. The same Rapier that saved me a semester ago before we were even formally announced as teammates.

"I mean you're a klutz, you're rambunctious, you-"

"What do you really mean, Weiss" I shift my eyes to hers, wanting nothing more than to hear her say she has feelings for me. Even if they are still in question. If I can have the absolute least out of this, let it be that Weiss is either not homophobic, or that she's bi-curious.

"Ruby, I am unsure of what I was trying to say myself. A lot has transpired between us this first semester, and I do not know if my feelings for you are what you think them to be." I get the feeling that was a half-truth, but there is not much I can do about it. I feel all jittery inside at the thought that Weiss has feelings for me. My grip on her wrist loosens, and my silence probably is not assisting the situation. I enter a minor daydream, thinking of things to say, and romantic responses she can give me in return, but when I snap back into reality and look straight ahead of me, she is not there. Quickly I turn my head and see her walking past me for the door. I reach behind me and grab her wrist. I don't want her to go yet. I haven't said my side. Maybe if she hears how I feel she will be totally honest with me.

"Ruby, that's enough. I said what I felt I needed to." Her voice is back to being stern and commanding. This is the Weiss I fell in love with, but now I feel as though I fell in love with a shell and the true Weiss Schnee making an appearance for but a few seconds. I met Weiss Schnee, the teenage girl attending Beacon Academy. Not Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company.

I can't let up. Not now, not yet. She confessed to you, Ruby. Or at least that's the closest you're getting to a confession. You need to tell her your feelings. NOW! My inner voice scolds me for the first time in a while. I part my lips to speak, but Weiss tries to tug her wrist free from me once again. I stand my ground, holding firmly until her movements become more frantic, forcing me to pull her towards me, although a bit too hard. The result is Weiss collapsing to the floor, and me landing on top of her. I take the chance to quickly posture myself. I crawl over Weiss, placing myself in a kneeling position with my rear planted on her tummy to hold her down. I need to get this off my chest.

"Listen to me for just one second!", I practically scream at her. My tone makes her pause, and the heiress looks up at me in utter disbelief. I let out a loud sigh, slouching forward now that the struggling is over.

"Weiss, the feelings are mutual." Ugh, really Ruby? Mutual? That's almost as bad as saying 'ditto'. The stern look of the heiress is gone and replaced by the sweet, bashful Weiss I was introduced to earlier. I feel this next part is needed. To prove that I truly share her feelings. I don't want to hide behind Yang anymore. I want to take my own steps from now on. I begin to lean down, prepared to have my first kiss. I hope Weiss takes the lead. She is staring at me with those soft eyes that close further the closer I lean. My mind begins to go blank as my lips near Weiss', but before they can connect she gently pushes me upwards, and looks away from me. I can feel myself beginning to tear up, and before I can ask why, I feel Weiss roll over and pin me to the floor. Her hand on my breast, which I am certain is accidental, but what is hurting me is her sharp elbow digging into my stomach.

"G-get off me Weiss! You're hurting me!", I cry out. She looks down at me and simply smiles before her face goes back to that cold, emotionless heiress I know. It all becomes clear within the next instant as Yang shoves the door open with an echoing thud, and sees Weiss on top of me.

Weiss, why would you?

"What the hell is going on here!?", Yang screams at the top of her lungs and begins walking towards us.

With no sense of urgency I feel Weiss lean down and cradle me for a brief moment, then whisper into my ear: "Let's keep this between us for now."

I look up at Weiss in shock, her next words being screams and pleas for Yang to be rational. I scream for Yang to stop, watching the truly barbaric side of my sister on display. I scream to Yang that Weiss likes me, but Weiss counters my voice with another plea for Yang to stop. I begin to shake, seeing Weiss getting pinned to a wall. My sister's flaming aura brings a warmth to me that I know too well. Yang cares about me, but she is not thinking rationally. I need to stop her before she hurts, no, destroys the love of my life.

I see Yang lift her right hand, my eyes going wide as I recall what happened two and a half years ago at Signal. The amount of training Yang has gone through since then has been immense. A punch like that with her aura burning will put Weiss in a coma. Then, it occurs to me.

Her right cross is lethal, but not her left hook. My body moves on its own; my semblance bringing me right next to Yang. My right arm hooks around her bicep, holding that punch back before it gets delivered. My left hand goes into her hair. I know she didn't comb her hair today and she most likely planned on doing so after breakfast. With that in mind I rake my fingers through her beautiful golden mane. I close my eyes and focus my aura to protect myself, also thinking back to my sister's first time accidentally punching me,

"Nobody touches my hair, Ruby. Especially when I'm mad. I'll knock out anyone since I'm not thinking straight, so for your own good, never do that again. Alright lil sis?" Her voice was so sweet when she told me that. The punch from that time was nowhere near the level of power she is at now, but I can take it. I need to take it. I won't let Weiss get hurt. She saved me from a monster in the Emerald Forest. It's about time I save her from one. I hate to admit it, but Yang truly is a monster at times.

"Yang! Yang! That's Ruby! Don't!" I hear Weiss scream. She doesn't know Yang like I do. Nobody does. You don't stop her anger. You can only redirect it. I can feel Yang's shift in gravity from the slight movement in her bicep, and her hair. I decide it may be best to pull my hands back to guard now that I know her attention is on me, but for the first time I am not fast enough. As the hit connects to my right cheek, I open my left eye and give Weiss one more stare. Those beautiful eyes being filled with tears.

_Why must you cry now, Weiss? I'll dream with that being the most recent image of you. Smile for me, please._

I close my eye and feel my feet take off from the ground. I know Yang's power, but not once am I scared of what will happen. Weiss is safe, and that's all that matters. I smile to myself as I begin flying across the room. My body is numb, but I feel as though someone caught me. Could it be Blake? Before I drift into unconsciousness I open my eyes to see Yang staring in shock, and Weiss right behind her. My body becomes light, my head droops forward and I begin falling to the floor. I guess it wasn't Blake that caught me.

I hit a wall.


	5. Recovery, a Red Rose, and a Relationship

_**POV: WEISS SCHNEE**_

_**Chapter 5 – Recovery, Roses, and Relationships**_

I look down at Ruby, holding that pretty little head on my lap. Even with scorch marks on her face she is still the most beautiful girl I have ever known.

"I hope you're satisfied!", I scream, looking to my left at the blonde barbarian. "Go get help, NOW!", I command, watching the shaking woman leave the room. I look back down at Ruby to see that she is bleeding from her nose. I quickly reach to the nearby drawer and pull out my favorite, white bolero.

I press it to my crimson warrior's nose. Telling myself that she will pull through with no problem. I gaze about the room, hoping to find something to help prop her up until the proper medical staff arrives. I feel my hand getting soaked, and quickly look down to see the blood already soaking through my bolero.

_That…that's a lot. How can she bleed that much!?_

I scream in my mind, quickly switching to another part of the bolero, noticing the same red liquid trickling out the corner of her lips. My body starts shaking; I have no clue what to do. I've never been in this situation, but I'm not going to lose her. Not now, not ever. I will be by her side until the very end.

"W-weiss" I hear my name slip from the bloody lips of my team leader.

"D-don't talk", I quickly tell her and bring my lips down onto her forehead. She nods her head, but then wipes her nose and mouth with her fingers, coating them in a deep crimson that rivals even her hood. I see her hand extend out to her side, but I am too busy whispering and reassuring her to care what she is trying to grab for. My tears roll down my cheeks, landing on the soft features of her swelled, burned, and bloody cheek. Only when she speaks again do I wipe away my tears and give her my complete attention.

"R-read"

"Read? What? Ruby, don't talk nonsense." I look down at the weak, silver eyes that are staring over to my white dresser. I turn my head and go wide eyed upon seeing Ruby's blood coating it, and then realizing that she has been writing using her crimson essence. I lean over slightly to read the atrocious handwriting, although at a time like this, I doubt anybody could write properly.

Weiss I read the first word in my head, carefully adapting to the oddly-shaped lettering before reading the rest of the sentence out loud. "Love me, even in death." I feel a churn within my stomach. I want to throw up. I want to scream. I want to shred Yang's yellow locks straight from her skull, and let her realize what it is like to lose something that you hold more precious to you than anything.

"You're not dying, Ruby." I whisper in an attempt to reassure myself more than I am trying to reassure her. I let out a nervous giggle, and look back down to my savior. I should have been the one like this right now. Why did she need to interfere and get herself into this situation? Why is she being so still? Why do I feel as if the carpet is drenched in water?

My eyes dart to Ruby's face once more. Seeing those beautiful silver eyes closed, the small, petite lips coated with red, but no bubbling or motion from her whatsoever. You're going to be fine, Ruby. I just know it. I don't even believe myself at this point. I look down at the carpet to see the black texture gaining a red complexion that has spread out rather far.

"No, no, no, no, no. Ruby! You….you DOLT. Wake up. Don't you dare leave me here!" I begin screaming at the lifeless form. I lift her head off my lap, seeing blood dripping from the back of her head. Was this from when she hit the wall? I pull her up to me, holding her in my arms, begging her to return to me.

"Weiss!" I can hear a faint voice scream, but there is nothing that can help me at this point. I'm not letting go. I never will from now on.

"Weiss!" that same voice calls out again. This time much louder than before. I close my eyes, hoping it will go away, my thoughts fading to the blackness of my heart, where every memory resides, except for the warming thoughts of my own Ruby Rose.

* * *

"Weiss! Get up! You're dreaming! Get up!" I jump up from my dream with a startle, bouncing into the backrest of a rather uncomfortable chair. My senses are weak, but I can hear the beeping of a medical device, and the room I am in appears to be a hospital room. Why am I here? I look down, spotting a large bed that I am sitting next to. I turn my head to the left to look at who it belongs to.

"Nice to see you're awake, sleepy head." I follow the voice, lifting my gaze upwards from where I am currently looking to see I am eye level with a perfectly healthy Ruby Rose. I reach up to wipe away some oncoming tears, but instead I feel a dampness on my cheeks. I must have been crying this entire time. I observe her bandaged face. The heavy bandages are covering up her entire right cheek, and right eye, but even in this situation I am amazed at how calm and carefree she is.

It's been two days since the event in our team's dorm room. Yang came back with two medical personnel from the school's clinic, and they quickly carried Ruby off with both of us in follow. She only had a swelled cheek, a fractured nose, and thankfully only first degree burns. If she was not such a talent with her combat and aura skills, I doubt she would be awake right now.

"So, what did I miss?" she asks with her cheery attitude, using her blanket to brush the tears from my cheeks.

"Two days of classes, me telling your sister off with extremely colorful vocabulary, Blake's increase in lack of sleep, Yang and I being assigned to work on the dance this Sunday, and me worrying sick about you." I quickly wrap my arms around Ruby's neck and pull the Crimsoness in for a tight hug. At the same time I press the buzzer near the edge of her bed to signal her doctor to make their way over here. Regardless of how much I want to talk and cradle her, her health comes first. We both remain silent, the sixteen year old brushing her cheek to mine, and letting out content sighs that I've released as well, happy to know that she will be okay. I can hear the door, which makes Ruby jump up and pull away from me. I forgot to tell her something else that happened while she was recovering, but I'm sure it will come up soon enough. As the female doctor approaches I sit myself up in the chair, correcting my posture and brushing down my school uniform. I finished Grim Studies and rushed over to the clinic, as I've been doing the past couple of days, wanting nothing more than to be the first person Ruby wakes up and sees.

"Miss Rose, it is good to see you awake. I must say, for being one of Miss Xiao Long's right cross victims, you are awake far ahead of schedule." The female doctor said, trying to lighten the mood of the room, although with Ruby present it was not hard for that to be achieved.

"Well, it was actually a left hook. I don't think I'd be talking right now if it were her right cross." Ruby smiles back instantly. I am amazed at how perky she is when her sister nearly killed her two days ago, but then again this is the same girl that has gone through several sparring matches with Yang, although that punch was far from being near a sparring level.

"You're telling me. I still have a Mister Winchester in intensive care from yesterday's sparring session with Miss Xiao Long."

Ruby was fortunate to have a doctor that was just as cheery and talkative as she was. I stand up, leaving the room since I already know I will be asked so Doctor Summers could do her job and examine Ruby's injuries. As I enter the hallway, I quickly take out my scroll and open up my messaging tab. I add both Yang and Blake as the recipients and proceed to type.

Me: Ruby is awake, get here now.

Blake: On my way.

Barbaric Brute: Kk OMW*

I let out an audible sigh and put my scroll away into the inner pocket of my vest. Yang arrives within two minutes of my message, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. Wherever she has been, she made a swift exit to come and see her sister. Yang and I had a very long exchange after we made sure Ruby was taken care of. I refuse to forgive her for hitting her sister, and she shows no signs of forgiving herself either. I spent hours trying to explain what transpired that resulted in her coming in and spotting Ruby and I in that ridiculously lewd position, but Yang's close-minded attitude made me forfeit in my attempts and settle for telling her that Ruby will explain exactly what happened. Among other things, I had a surplus of time to speak to Yang without having Ruby to sit next to, or spar with, and I've developed an understanding with Yang, moving her from an acquaintance to a friend.

"Why are you out here? Something wrong? Is Rubes okay?" Yang is too hyper right now. It is her fault that Ruby is like this, but Ruby has been stable this entire time without any problems. I quickly lift my hand up over the mouth of the busty blonde. Leaving my palm over her lips a moment for her to get my gesture, and then lower my hand back to my hip.

"She's fine. Her bandages are being removed, and all of the other formalities are being checked out. Ruby was acting as if nothing happened, she's fine." I answer, then hear the door to the room open. A surprised Doctor Summers stands there, looking at Yang with a raise of her eyebrow.

"Miss Schnee, is this-?"

"Yes, this is the infamous Yang Xiao Long," I answer, already knowing what the next question will be. "Otherwise known as Ruby's older sister." I can see the look of shock on the doctor's face. Not too many people know that Yang and Ruby are related, and I'm sure that people would never expect it since Ruby has become one of the people on the long list of hospital admittances from Yang.

"In her defense, this was not done purposefully, otherwise Ruby would not be awake right now. That punch was meant for me, and it was certainly going to be her right cross." I gently shimmy past Doctor Summers who appears reluctant to let Yang in. Yang has never been within fifty yards of the clinic, so none of the employees know what this crazy, sadistic fighter looks like.

"Yang!" I hear Ruby shout when her sister steps into the room. Seeing the bandages off her face brings a bright smile to my face. There are no marks of any kind aside from small amounts of peeling skin that could be taken care of with a quick shower.

The happy greeting Ruby gave to Yang is enough to put Doctor Summers at ease and leave the three of us for now. Yang steps past me and kneels down at Ruby's side, rather than use the chair I was sitting in (that is not even three feet away.)

"Rubes, I'm really sorry about what happened. I saw Weiss on top of you, I heard you scream for her to get off, and with those two things in mind, I snapped." To think Yang was capable of apologizing to people... Although I guess I won't give points since it is her sister she is apologizing to. Not much of a step in the right direction, just yet.

"Yang, it's fine. I pulled your hair on purpose so you wouldn't hit Weiss. I know what your right cross can do, but you have terrible form when you throw a hook, so I figured I could deal with it"

"Wait, I have bad form on my left hook?" I begin to snicker, out of all the things that could be taken from what Ruby just said, of course Yang would focus on the fact that her fighting form is in need of work.

"You don't step in when you throw it, so you're just striking with your upper arm instead of putting your entire body into it"

"Really!? You're helping me tomorrow in sparring practice then!" Of course Yang would forget one of the things we discussed, and as usual I now need to step in and remind her of one of our agreements.

"Ahem, Ruby won't be sparring with you for a week. We discussed this. I refuse to let you two go at it since we do not know if Ruby is fully recovered, and you two don't know how to tone it down when you're facing each other." Yang's mighty groan of defeat, and Ruby's pouting reminds me just how much those two can be alike. "As for you," I look towards Ruby, who immediately snaps her head in my direction, "You have three lessons to copy from my notebooks, a report on the migration habits of Nevermores, and Team Juniper will surely be at our room to see that you are well."

"Wait, Doctor Summers said I should stay another night." Ruby's comment earns a smirk from Yang who reassures her sister of an 'early leave'.

"They will be more than happy to let you out with Yang escorting you. Just the mention of her name will stop nearly every person within this establishment."

"Yup, nobody messes with Beacon's Blond Beauty" Yang nods in triumph, earning a gigglesnort from Ruby and a much needed reality check from me.

"Yang, everyone here knows you as Beacon's Barbaric Blonde. Now, I left Ruby's standard attire – her combat skirt, boots, leggings, blouse, and cape – underneath the bed, nice and folded in a bag. Help her get dressed so we can get out of here already." I go over to grab my bag from next to the chair and leave the room, wondering where Blake is at this time.

After Ruby comes out of the room with Yang leading the way, we all proceed to leave. Our only opposition coming at the entrance when the desk clerk recognizes Ruby 'the recent Yang Xiao Long victim', and attempts to get her to wait for Doctor Summers. As I predicted earlier, once Yang mentions who she is, the desk clerk is more than happy to let the three of us go without needing to sign any sort of paperwork.

I'm happy to see Ruby moving about with ease. She's still as hyper as ever, and Yang is in a much more relaxed state now that her sister is out of there. The walk back to our dorm room is quick and quiet. I see Yang take out her scroll to send a text message while I take out mine to open the door. Upon entering we see an unconscious Blake sleeping in bed. It's about time she got some sleep. At least her absence was for a good cause.

"Okay, I think we should go across the hall to Team Juniper's room and let Blakey enjoy her catnap", Yang suggests, to which both Ruby and I agree. The two of them walk out the room, but I loiter for a moment to find Ruby's scroll, tucked away and charging on her bed just like I left it. I unplug it, seeing that the battery is full and hand it to Ruby after I exit the room and carefully shut the door behind me.

"Hello~ Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, Ren? Where are you~~~~?", Yang sings out while fist-pounding the door.

"Maybe they're out?" I suggest, being the one with the most common sense it seems.

"Yeah, Yang. Maybe you should have called them first.", Ruby states, giving me a smile and a little wink out the corner of her eye while Yang is still distracted with banging on the door. Ruby's wink makes me blush and gaze away. Such a trivial and basic flirting attempt and I am already flustered.

Ruby Rose, if you knew the things I want to do to you, you would be far more hesitant to wink at me! I sigh, letting my internal comment go unvocalized. Surprisingly, I hear a door open and look back at Yang to see a second set of blonde hair responding at the door.

"Heheh, sorry guys. Ren and I were stuck in the bathroom since Pyrrha had to get dressed, and I was in the shower at the time. Come in." Jaune quickly steps aside, allowing Yang, Ruby, and I to enter the room.

"Yang, Ruby, Weiss. It's great to see the three of you. I'm glad to see you already out and about, Ruby. I hope you'll be back at 100% soon, and I'm sure Weiss will be more than willing to assist you the entire way." Pyrrha is always very well spoken and mannered, but did she need to mention me in that last part? She just opened the gates.

"Huh?" Ruby grunts out in confusion. Pyrrha added some emphasis on that last sentence, and I can only imagine how long this will go on before she questions Yang or I on the inside joke.

"Yup, yup! Weiss will . . . give you . . . plenty of . . . R&amp;R!" I hear a loud bang and creak with each pause in Nora's sentence, after shimmying out from behind the two sisters I can see she is jumping her bed with Ren sitting at the edge, being sent inches in the air with each of Nora's hard landings. I need to commend him on his amazing patience and tolerance for Nora. If it were me in his situation, I would have no problem kicking her out the room for the night.

Ruby's confusion only continues, eventually making her turn around and face me. I knew this would happen. Yang said it would be easier this way, and I guess with the rest of my friends inching towards the matter it does make it easier for me to respond to Ruby's upcoming question.

"Weiss, what are they talking about?" Those silver eyes are looking right through my body, hungering for an answer as to what is going on.

"Yeah, Weiss. Do tell!" I growl and look over at Yang who appears to be too amused at the situation. This is in no way easy for me, and a little moral support from my teammate's sister would be nice to rely on at some point.

"You haven't asked her, Weiss? I was under the impression that it was already a done deal." Damnit, Jaune! You're not helping either. I want to leave the room now. This is far too embarrassing to deal with, but I told myself I wouldn't run. I'll hold my ground, just like Ruby did for me when it came to her sister.

"Weiss, what haven't you asked me? Why does everyone else know but not me? What's going on?" Ruby's tone is a bit more frantic, and she is quicker with her words. She gets anxious so easily, and I find it so adorable. It's one of the many things I like about her.

"Well, while you were hospitalized... I will not go into detail on that," I flash a look over to Yang. She won't be forgetting what she did to Ruby anytime soon, I'll be making sure of that. "I came up with a small resolve, and shared with Blake my intentions, who then shared with Yang, who then went a step further and said what I intended to do was already done, thus leading to Team Juniper's assumptions" Wait, I didn't say what they were under the assumption of, did I? Damnit, Weiss.

"And what would that be?" Ruby asks with growing interest. I let out a soft sigh, and hang my head in defeat. I can feel my cheeks burning red, and when I raise my head, it is clear my blush is visible.

"Ruby Rose, I want you to be my girlfriend."


	6. A Well Deserved Catnap

_**POV: BLAKE BELLADONNA**_

_**Chapter 6 – A Well Deserved Catnap.**_

"Okay, I think we should go across the hall to Team Juniper's room and let Blakey enjoy her catnap." Damn Yang and her obsession with puns referring to my Faunus nature. I've told her many times that I do not like her childish, and otherwise distasteful use of wordplay. ESPECIALLY when she is referring to my cat ears.

I keep myself still, feeling the presence of someone still in the room. After second or two I hear footsteps going towards Ruby's bed. I take the opportunity to open an eye and see the long, white French braid of the resident heiress. She's getting Ruby's scroll, and is now out the door. _About time._ I quickly sit up in bed and pull out my scroll, messaging Jaune to let the trio in. Within seconds Yang's impatient banging stops, and I can hear the faint voice of Jaune as he welcomes 75% of Team RWBY into his team's dorm room. These past two days had been nerve-racking to say the least, with Weiss' resolve to prove her love to Little Red by requesting an official declaration between the two of them. Yang's mental lapse had not helped much either, but she gave me some advice that I have been taking. She can be just as caring as Little Red – my nickname for Ruby – except she is selective as to who she will be that caring for. I am surprised that things are turning out like they are, and hopefully my plan for Weiss and Ruby does not backfire. After all, all Yang needs to do is play dumb and lead them into my little mousetrap. Yes, I am capable of making puns too. Mine are far superior to Yang's however.

It all started after I gathered news from Yang of what she did to Ruby:

* * *

(_**After the events of chapter 4)**_

_Ugh, who is spamming my scroll? Whoever it is better have a good reason, I was just getting to the good part!_

I drop my bookmark between the pages of one of my favorite romance novels – Ninjas of Love. My scroll went off early, but I figure that once I ignore it, whoever it was that messaged me would get the idea that I am not to be bothered and leave me to my book. Unfortunately, that is not the case. My scroll vibrates along my hip over and over again. Sometimes vibrating for a constant five seconds as a massive horde of messages clutter together within Beacon's server before being dropped off in my scroll all at once. I close my book with a loud clap, and place it within my bag. I am currently on the roof, the same area that Pyrrha and Jaune sneak off to at night to train, although I am seated comfily over the doorway, leaning back against the tiles of the slanted wall. I enjoy it up here, it's peaceful during the day, and nobody comes up here during these hours to disturb me, aside from whoever it is still sending me messages on my scroll. I suppose I should answer it.

_Yeah, yeah, you're impatient, I get it. This better be good._ I speak to myself while opening my scroll to see an astounding 23 unread messages from Yang. _Of course it would be you to message me. I told you already, I do not want to go on a date with you. You switch relationships by the week, and I am no statistic. _

I sigh and decide to read her messages for once, rather than turn off my scroll when she is in one of her obsessive moods.

_**Yang: **__Punched Rubes, in clinic,_

_Im br8kin down._

_I h8 my life._

_Pls KittyKat_

_Blake_

_ANSWER ME_

As I read through all of the messages, I gather that Yang possibly hit Ruby with a right cross, which I hope is not the case. That woman knows how to destroy a person with her right. If Ruby is in the clinic, then there is nothing I can do. Only thing left is to wait and let the staff do their job. If I recall, Ruby gets treated by Doctor Summers. I have had to take Ruby in there plenty of times for the always occurring tummy aches since Little Red has such an obsession with sweets. How she does not gain a pound is beyond me, but I can worry about that later.

_I guess I'll call Yang. Worst case I'll tell her to meet me in the dorm room._

I go through the contacts on my scroll, going down to the last person in my current list of contacts 'Xiao Long, Yang'. I hold the phone up a few inches to my ear, knowing once she picks up I will be barraged with words.

"Ohmygod, Blake, I hit Ruby. It wasn't a cross, so I'm happy. Well, I'm happy it wasn't a cross, but I hit my sister, I could have killed her. Idunno what to do. I can't think straight, you gotta help me. Please, I'm losing my mind. Weiss kicked me out of the hospital room. I have never heard her say so many curses at one time. I wish I cou-"

"Yang, You're talking too fast. Punch a tree and come to the room to talk."

"But I'm in the room, I came back aft-"

"Then go outside, punch a tree, and meet me in the room."

Before Yang can impose an argument I hang up my scroll and turn it off to another back massage of messages from her. I toss my scroll into my bag along with my book, place my bag on and begin walking along the roof. Looking down from where I am, I can see a large grassy area with a firm oak tree hanging near the walls of the dormitory. As a matter of fact, it's the same oak tree that I look at from the room window. I use that to landmark where I am in comparison to the room, and continue walking until I roughly estimate that I am right above where my room is. I lean over to peek down the edge of the dormitory. Being four stories high does have its disadvantages, but thankfully I just need to drop down one story, and into the open window. It is either that or climb down a branch on the tree and hop in, although if my timing is correct, then that tree won't be safe in the next few seconds. I turn around, placing my back towards the edge of the building and make a harmless jump backwards. I grasp the ledge of the roof as I fall, placing my feet against the top of the frame to the room window, and I'm happy to see that the window itself is still open. I let go of the ledge, allowing myself to fall down to the windowsill - a sneaky entryway to the room. Sun has a habit of using that ledge to visit me unannounced.

_He needs to clean up his act before he even thinks I will show any interest in him, although his abs do have a point . . . I could grate cheese on them. _I purr, thinking of his toned torso, and almost lose my footing upon my landing to the windowsill. Quickly I reach my hands inside the window and pull myself inside, not a second later I hear Yang's angry scream, and look out the window to see the entire tree shake, and several leaves dancing their way down to the grassy plains below.

_I know her too well, it seems._ I smile, stepping over to my bed and placing my backpack underneath. I sit down, near the edge, leaving plenty of room for Yang to faceplant herself and await me to control the tempo of the conversation, since I usually need to in order to keep everything she says in an order I can understand.

_Speaking of Yang, she should be here right about_ I look to the door, seeing it burst open with a depressed brawler walking towards me. I pat the massive amount of room left on my bed, and as suspected, Yang dives in, burying her face into my pillow just like Little Red does every time she is depressed about something.

"Alright, Yang. From the top. What happened? You went back to make sure Ruby wouldn't get interrogated by Weiss. That was over two hours ago, and I honestly thought you were just cutting class again." I reach down and begin rubbing Yang's back. Her golden jungle of hair is always so smooth and warm. I love her hair, but if I tell her that, she will make a point of using it as a form of leverage.

"I got back to the room, the door was open, but I didn't want to rush in and make it look obvious that I came to bail out Ruby, so I slow down and decide to just peek in and make sure everything is going okay. I peek inside and hear Ruby telling Weiss to get off of her, and when I look around the door and I see Weiss holding my sis down to the ground. I got in there, lost my cool, and threw Weiss against a wall. I was about to punch her, but then Ruby grabbed my arm and my hair – and once I'm out of it I will swing at whoever touches my hair. I'm just in 'Yang Mode' "

I nod, tapping Yang's shoulder to get the blonde brawler to stop talking for a moment while I gather my thoughts. "So, you went under the assumption that Weiss was 'defiling' your sister in search of answers, and once again go in with your mindset of 'punch first, ask questions later'. You are about to knock the daylights out of Weiss, and Ruby stops you the only way she knows how, and that results in you knocking her halfway back to Signal. Did I get that right?" I bring my arms in front of me to fold them and looking ahead of me at the two vacant beds while Yang sulks into my pillow more, letting me know that I was right on the money.

"Okay, so you knock out Ruby, bring her to the clinic, and Weiss wanted you as far away from Ruby as possible because of what you did, right?" Another huff and loud groan again confirms that I am right. "Does she have second or third degree burns?"

"First degree . . . she used her aura to block most of my punch." I raise an eyebrow, thinking about Yang's strength, and the amount of time Ruby would need to charge enough aura to defend against Yang's strike.

"Were you flaming?"

"Fully"

"Hmm…"

"What?"

"Even for Ruby who has very powerful aura, to escape a punch while you're in 'Yang Mode' means she had every intention of being punched, and charged her aura even before you began throwing your punch. That means something happened between her and Weiss, since Ruby has never gotten involved in a quarrel between the two of you. Even when you nearly killed Weiss that one time for cutting off a piece of your hair in sparring practice." I'm far too tired to think much further for now, but I think I am right on the dot with my assumptions. The only thing now is to question Weiss on her side of the story.

"It doesn't matter!" Yang screams, though slightly muffled by my pillow. She realizes her flaw and raises her head up to be heard more clearly, "I hit my sister and put her into medical care. I could have killed her!" Yang was right, she could have killed Ruby, IF Ruby wasn't ready for that punch.

"Yang, your sister is almost as reckless as you, but she is smart, and a very quick thinker. Her taking that punch with aura ready is a perfect example of that. She took a chance by getting you to punch her, but she was prepared for it nonetheless. Your sister put herself in harm's way to save Weiss from what I assume was your right cross. Your sister is in love with Weiss, that much is obvious, but we don't know what happened in that room. I doubt Weiss was molesting Ruby. Weiss hasn't shown she likes Ruby-" _That __is_ _the world's biggest lie. I've caught Weiss looking at pictures of Ruby on her scroll, and not to mention that scent of hers from this morning._ "Look, all you need to do is let me talk to the two of you. When Weiss gets back we will take care of that, for now just take a nap and gather yourself."

I reach underneath my bed to pull out my bag and get my book out. I climb up onto Yang's bed and sit with my back to the wall, giving me plenty of room to stretch out my legs and continue reading, at least until Yang climbed up and laid her head on my lap.

"Yang, I came up here to read." I look down at her with an unamused glare.

"And I won't say a word, Blake. Please?" she looks at me with those soft lilac eyes, bloodshot from her recent tear shedding.

"Just this once," I cave in to her. I've stopped her several times before, but I guess with these circumstances I'll let her have one thing go her way today. I open my book up, removing the bookmark and go back to reading. Yang is true to her word and keeps quiet while I read, eventually falling asleep on my lap while I enter the world of Ninjas of Love and await Weiss' return.

* * *

_**(Present)**_

There's a wetness between my thighs now as I recall having Yang resting against me while I read my favorite romance novel. I do have a thing for Yang, but as I said earlier I will not become another person on a list of people she's conquered. She's been as persistent as can be without pushing too hard, but I am not sure if she always takes this approach. With her reputation I cannot be sure if she is being genuine, or just trying to add a faunus to the list. I slip off of my bed and open the door to the room. I step across the hall and listen to what is happening so far in team Juniper's room. It hasn't been that long since they went in, but let's see just how far Pyrrha and the rest of team Juniper have taken my instructions.

"Yup yup! Weiss will give you plenty of R&amp;R!" I can hear Nora shout. I quickly retreat back into team RWBY's room and begin laughing uncontrollably. This is too perfect. It's just as I planned.

* * *

_**(Continuation of previous flashback)**_

"Okay, Weiss. I know you are mad at Yang for what happened, you and I both know she was wrong, and I want you to tell us what happened." I look at the depressed heiress sitting across the room from Yang and myself.

"Blake, given what Yang walked in on, I understand her reaction. After taking time to think it over, and seeing Ruby is completely stable, I am much more composed. However, although nothing of any mature variety occurred between Ruby and I, there are certain things I refuse to say in front of Yang." _I see, sorry Yang, looks like you need to go._

"Alright. Yang, step out the room for ten minutes while I speak to Weiss." I know Yang is about to complain, and to avoid an exchange I figure I will give the blonde a deal she can't refuse, as well as something I wouldn't totally be against. "Just let me handle this, and I will go with you to the dance in 9 days, alright?"

Needless to say within the next five seconds Yang was out the room, leaving Weiss and I alone.

"You did not need to throw yourself under the bus like that for me, Blake."

"It's fine. Now tell me what happened." _It's more than fine, Weiss. This was the easiest way to get Yang to take me without me giving her any advantages. _I look at Weiss' body language. Brushing her thighs together, red cheeks and avoiding my gaze. She's making me think that Yang was actually right for once. I hope not. In the name of Remnant I hope not!

"I confessed," is all Weiss says before looking out the window.

"Confessed? About?" I quirk a brow, realizing what it is when Weiss gives me that helpless look she has when anytime she is gazing at the few pictures of Ruby she keeps in her scroll. I quickly advance the conversation, getting details of the whole situation, as well as Weiss' resolve to ask Ruby to be her girlfriend. The only condition Weiss has is that she wants me present to give her the courage since I am the only one who currently knows, but with what I have in mind, I won't need to be present. I will be sitting back and enjoying the show.

*The following morning*

"Wait, she likes Ruby!?" I give Yang a nod of my head. It's half an hour until class, and Weiss took off earlier, giving an excuse that she left her bag in the cafeteria. She did, but it was on purpose so she can go get it and check on Ruby at the clinic. She's a lost cause without Ruby nearby.

"I just told you that, blond for brains. Listen, you didn't hear a thing from me. All you need to do is tell Team Juniper that Weiss and Ruby are going out the moment you get news that Ruby is awake. I sent you a message of what to say, all you need to do is copy and paste it to Pyrrha, and she will tell the rest of the team. Weiss will be messaging you the moment Ruby is awake, and will be making amends with you. In exchange she wants me to be present when she confesses to Ruby, but it will not be turning out that way. With Team Juniper thinking that she already confessed, they will back Weiss into a corner, Ruby will question Weiss, and Weiss will have no chance to back out at that point, unless she wants Ruby to find out from someone other than herself, which will not happen since she seemed so prideful with the idea of asking Ruby out."

"Wait, so what will I be doing?", Yang asks, and it's a fair question. The only task I gave her was sending a text message.

"I'll make it seem like I've been pushing myself into overdrive. The day Weiss sends us a message that Ruby is awake, you will send the message and leave me your scroll, and you will take mine. The reason for this is so when you get back, you can message me that you are almost back, I can pretend to sleep, and then you can suggest staying in Juniper's room until I wake up. After the three of you leave I will message Pyrrha with your scroll since they have no idea I am a part of this plan. It will keep my claws clean, assign you the blame of being a loud mouth, and Weiss will simply think that I told you, and you told everyone else. It's that simple."

* * *

_**(Present)**_

So, here I am, within the room all alone with the door open. Weiss is caught in my trap just as I wanted. But why did I make it so difficult for her? Simple; she needs to be able to express herself to Ruby in front of multiple people. I refuse to let the Ice Queen date Little Red and be scared to exchange a simple 'I love you' because there is one person in ear shot. It's a backhanded tactic, and a lesson from the shadows, but it is all for her own good. I step back into the hallway, a smile crossing my lips when I hear Weiss speak up clearly for the first time, with an amazingly firm tone.

"Ruby Rose, I want you to be my girlfriend."

_Atta girl. My work is done. Now, I do need to catch up on my sleep, especially since Yang will be bugging me about the dance starting tomorrow. Time for a well-deserved catnap . . . Damn you, Yang for rubbing your stupid puns off on me._


	7. Delayed, but Not Forgotten

_**POV: RUBY ROSE**_

_**Chapter 7 – Delayed, but Not Forgotten**_

"Ruby Rose, I want you to be my girlfriend."

Did Weiss just ask me out? She's still staring at me, oh my gosh! She did! I look down, kicking at Team Juniper's carpet with my combat boots. I've wanted this for so long, but I always pictured I would be the one doing the asking and leaving Weiss all flustered and bashful. The sight of Weiss' serious face being topped off with a crimson blush could never be surpassed, and neither could this moment. I look forward again to see Weiss' eyes are downcast, and I don't need to look behind me to know that my sister and the rest of Team Juniper are all watching. Even Jaune, who was at the door, directly behind Weiss moved away, leaving me with my Snow Princess in view.

"Ahem!" I hear Yang clear her throat, and before I can turn to her I feel a punch in my arm, and a palm in my back that sends me towards Weiss so I am now a foot away, and looking up into those icy blue eyes.

"Weiss, I never thought that you would go this far . . . for me. I-I don't know what to say." Of course I am lying. I know exactly what to say, but I want to milk this moment for as long as possible. That may not be a good idea. Weiss is on the border of tears, and I see her reaching out to hug me. This is great!

Actually, she's opening the door to the room, granting me a moment to peek outside and see that our room's door is open. Odd, I thought Weiss closed it, oh well. Wait, WEISS! I go wide-eyed and quickly push my foot to the door, slamming it shut before my precious heiress can open it far enough to slip outside.

With such a short distance, I don't need to use my semblance, but I think the romantic effect will help. I quickly place one hand on Weiss' shoulder, a swarm of rose petals being left in my previous position not even two feet behind me. I push Weiss against a wall, smiling at her while she looks away from me with those soft eyes, and allowing me to see just how far her blush extends.

"I won't let you go, Weiss", I whisper to her, sneaking my other hand around her waist.

"Ooooo, Rubes is the aggressive type. Just like her big sis." Yang praises me, although I could happily go years without needing to know that my sister enjoys to 'command' the tempo of whatever it is she does with her 'date of the week'.

"We won't let her go, Ruby! If she does… WE~~'LL BREAK HER LEGS." Nora's comment makes both me and Weiss shiver. Neither of us are not sure if she is being serious or not.

"Weiss, I love you. I have for a long time. For over half a semester I fought my feelings, not sure what they were, but . . . I love you, Weiss Schnee." I fistbump myself in my mind. That was to make up for my terrible use of words two days ago, that awful phrase 'The feelings are mutual' echoing in my head. Yuck.

"You dolt!", I hear Weiss scream at me with anger in her eyes, the rest of the room going quiet and staring in shock. I would be too if I wasn't so happy that she will be my girlfriend before the day is done. "You . . . you're supposed to . . . to just say 'Yes'. Do you have any idea how hard this is for me?" She is so mad, flustered, and confused. I mean, I do have her pinned to a wall after she asked me to be her girlfriend – Okay, so maybe not 'ask' . . . it was more of an attempt to ask that turned into her just saying what she wants and leaving me to pick up the breadcrumbs, but that's her style.

"But . . ." I fake an upset look, my trademark puppy eyes hitting their mark and causing her face to turn a shade of darker red when she makes the innocent mistake of making eye contact with me.

". . . I'm your Dolt" I whisper to her so nobody else can hear. Thinking back, for so long Weiss have had a sparkle in her eye every time she called me a dolt, and now that we are at this point, I now know those were her poor attempts at affection. A beautiful princess's affections hidden within a castle of ice.

"Just kiss already you two!", I hear Yang shout at us, drawing a giggle from Pyrrha, Ren, and Jaune who all have been quiet, and allowing the moment to happen. They're all such great friends and I'm happy to have met them.

"I would appreciate you not rushing me to kiss my own girlfriend!", Weiss snaps in return. I haven't even answered her and she is already marking me as her own. Not that I mind, but it's just like her to overlook some formalities even when she admires them so much. It seems I'm not the only one in the room that notices, since it earns a small wave of giggles from my sister and Jaune's team. It takes Weiss a moment, but soon enough I see tears rolling down her cheeks, and a hand over her lips as she realizes her little fault.

"Yes, Weiss. I'm your girlfriend," I answer with pride in my voice, and move my right hand from her shoulder, up to her cheek, using my thumb to wipe away some of her tears.

In response to my lingering hand, Weiss raises her left arm to brush my hand away, and caress my cheek instead. Her touch is always so cold, but it's her natural temperature. It's part of her aura, part of her, and I love everything about her.

"Weiss, I-" I begin to speak, but she cuts me off with a newfound confidence to me accepting her love.

"Just . . . shut up and kiss me you dolt" she answers and begins leaning down with half-open eyes.

"But I'm your dolt" I whisper, mimicking her motion and lifting my head to adjust to our slight height difference, although her wearing those heels make it look like she is three or four inches taller than me, rather than just one.

"But you're my dolt" she responds, her cold breath touching my lips, telling me just how close we are to having our first kiss. I expect our first to be something basic. A simple peck, or a five second lip tug as I've seen on the cover of one of Blake's books, but Weiss is serious about this, and proves it far too well. As our lips connect, she tilts her head a little further towards one side.

I love the feeling of her cold lips against mine. Nothing in this world can beat this feeling. Okay, maybe THAT can.

I say to myself when I feel something brushing over my lips, that wasn't her lips.

I go wide-eyed, the wet muscle demanding and taking entry to my mouth, rather than awaiting my response. Weiss' eyes are closed, and soon mine are as well. Her lips are vibrating, making mine tickle.

Wait, vibrating?

My ears snap back into reality, picking up the faint sounds of Weiss moaning. They are far too faint for anyone else to hear, but I can hear them loud and clear, and I love them so much.

I feel the tip of Weiss' tongue brushing past my lips, searching for my tongue to dance with. I quickly end her search when my own tongue darts out and runs into hers, turning it into a fight for whose lips they will dance behind.

It's almost like a sparring match!, I think to myself, defending each attempt Weiss makes to bring the passionate kiss back into my lips.

We are like this for nearly thirty seconds, embracing each other, communicating better than we ever have before, and without the need to use a single word. Weiss and I are far too much alike in certain things. Especially since we both forget the necessity of breathing – especially during a kiss.

We break apart, both of our cheeks red, lips parted with thin glistens of our mixed saliva on them. Our eyes half open and never leaving the gaze of the other. We are both panting in perfect sync with each other. I honestly forgot that we were just kissing in front of five people, and I think Weiss did too, but both of us could care less at this point. I have my princess, and she has her dolt.

As we regain our composure and begin becoming aware of our surroundings, I can feel a radiating heat from behind me. It has to be none other than my sister, Yang. Why is she all fired up? I wonder, and do not need to wait long for an answer.

"Just cause you are dating my sister doesn't mean you have to play tonsil hockey with her, Weiss!" Yang shouts, earning a laugh from everyone in the room. I gaze over my shoulder to look at my flaming-haired sis. Her beautiful lilac eyes switched to the healthy shade of red that marked her disapproval. Just as I am about to complain to Yang, I feel Weiss pull my head above her breast, pressing my cheek to her slender form while she rests her chin on the center of my head

"I'm sorry, Yang." I can see Yang's eyes widen and go back to their lilac color, a look of complete disbelief on her face, and I am sure on the faces of Team Juniper too. Weiss actually apologized to Yang!

"Don't get adapted to my momentary display of kindness and tolerance to your childish rants, Yang."

Yup . . . there's the Weiss I know. I knew it was too good to be true.

"I am simply too elated to bother with arguing when I am now coupled with one of the cutest girls in Beacon."

W-Weiss! Stop it! You're making me blush! I scream in my mind and quickly turn my head, hiding my red cheeks against Weiss' outfit, and earning several 'Awww's from everyone in the room.

"Well, my work here is done. I will leave the interrogation up to team Juniper! As for me, I am going to go make sure Blake is alright." Yang slips open the door slightly to let herself out, leaving Weiss and I stuck with a looming group.

"Well, let's not crowd them too much. Ruby, Weiss, please take a seat here on my bed." I am glad that Pyrrha is so nice and able to command the room without a single fuss. She is far too nice for anybody to argue with her. Weiss leans off of the wall, peeling me from our tight embrace and proceed to Pyrrha's bed to sit down, the other four sitting on the nearest bed facing us.

Looking at them now – the beds that is – they are almost identical to the ones in our room. Our beds have wooden frames, twin sized, and come with red bed sheets and white pillowcases. Although we did turn our beds into custom-bunks, Team Juniper decided to put two beds across the room, and then line up the other two beds parallel on the opposite side.

Since Weiss and I are on Pyrrha's bed, I am guessing the bed right next to us that they are sitting on is none other than Nora's, and the two beds across the room are Ren and Jaune's.

"I assume you all have you own questions you wish to ask." I look to my left at Weiss. I didn't notice, but she still has her arm around my waist, and holding me close to her. She needs to stop that nervous habit she has of wiggling her fingers and tapping on a desk, because right now her fingers are poking against my hip, and it is pretty hard not to laugh. "I suppose if Ruby is fine with it, we can answer them . . . as long as they remain decent . . . Nora." Weiss is back to her 'heiress style' of talking. Prim, proper, firm and unwavering.

"Well, I am actually curious as to what made both of you realize you are drawn to each other." I look at Ren as he speaks. It's the first time he has spoken up all day. I decide to speak up first. The thought was already at the front of my mind.

"Well, I started to like Weiss after the whole incident in the Emerald Forest. She had such a graceful movement anytime she used Myrtenaster, and those icy blue eyes just . . ." I turn my head and hide my face in Weiss' shoulder. I can feel Weiss shifting a little, and feel the soft caress of her lips on my temple, followed by a brief chuckle.

"Unfortunately, I cannot answer that question" Really Weiss? That's totally not fair! "But I will say that Ruby's childish antics and charm are one of her best features, and made me fall for her that much quicker. She can be impulsive, and an extreme dolt, but she is the most determined, kind, naïve and intelligent woman I know." Everyone in the room smiles at Weiss' response, and I can't help but to lean up and give her cold cheek a quick peck.

We continue talking for hours, everyone doing well to stay away from questions that prod too deep. Weiss keeps refusing to answer almost half of the questions asked, but I happily answer them all. It was somewhere between three and four O'clock when this all started, and by the time we answer the last question it is already six-thirty.

Weiss decides to announce our leave, and we quickly exit the room before more questions come along.

"That was . . . different", I comment, looking at her with a bright smile.

"It was, but not unpleasant, aside from Nora's attempts of dragging the conversation down to the gutter."

"Hehehe, yup!" I agree, pulling out my scroll to open the door, and enter my team's room. As I walk in I pause in shock, staring over towards Blake's bed to see the tall kitty faunus out cold with her head on Yang's lap, who is reading one of Blake's favorite books – Ninjas of Love.

"Hey you two. Be quiet, Kitty Cat's sleeping," Yang says in such a casual tone while she keeps reading the book to herself. What could possibly be so interesting about that book that would have Yang wanting to read it?

"Um . . . We need to go get dinner in about half an hour," I say to my sister who just nods to me without peeling her eyes from the paper. "Y-Yang? Why are you-?"

"Shhhhh, it's just getting good!"

"Never knew Yang was a bookworm, just let it be.", Weiss whispers to me. I look over to my girlfriend - Hmmmm, girlfriend. I love the sound of that a little too much! Weiss gives me a tight hug to bring me back out of my little daydream, smiling the entire time.

"Ruby Rose, what will I do with you?"

"Feed me cookies and milk?", I ask, hoping I will sneak my way into getting a box.

"Only on Christmas."

"But Weiss!" I whine, trying to give her my puppy face, but she is already walking towards the bathroom and soon running a shower.

Odd, she usually showers in the morning. Guess she must feel icky. I shrug my shoulders and plop down into her bed, looking over at Yang, still in disbelief that she is reading a book. A book that Blake would never let me step within 10 feet of. Totally not fair.


	8. Warmth and Heat

**_POV: YANG XIAO LONG_**

_**Chapter 8 – Warmth and Heat**_

"Well, my work here is done. I will leave the interrogation up to Team JNPR! As for me, I am going to make sure Blake is alright." I quickly open the door and shimmy my way out. I'm happy for Ruby, but seeing those two all lovey-dovey makes me want to punch something. Not because my sister is being kissed by a girl two years older than her, okay, maybe a little, but that's not the full reason. I'm jealous of her.

Don't get me wrong, Weiss is nothing to be jealous over, but I have been making clear attempts to get the attention of my own crush. The time it has taken Ruby to realize she likes the Ice Queen, I have spent the same amount of time trying to get a certain person to come out with me on one night in the town, but she keeps thinking I am just trying to 'add her to my list' of people I've 'conquered.'

I sigh to myself, opening the door to Team RWBY's room with Blake's scroll, looking inside to see her seated on my bed, reading that smutty romance novel of hers. I close the door behind me and walk over to our bunk beds, dropping her scroll on her bed and looking at the bow-wearing cat girl.

She changed out of her uniform at some point while I was with Ruby, Weiss, and Team JNPR. She's back into her normal clothes – her black buttoned vest that has its last button just above her belly button before spreading apart. However, it keeps trailing down in the back, and unfortunately goes down to Blake's thigh. The unfortunate part of that being it is long enough to cover that cute ass of hers. Underneath her vest she is wearing her sleeveless white shirt, and on her left hand she has on a black fishnet glove I got her that goes up to her elbow. The glove being completely fingerless, and having a large hole to slip her thumb through. It's nothing combat effective, but I saw it in one of the shops while I was roaming Vale and thought she would like it. I get a happy feeling anytime she wears it – which is not often. I'm not sure if she doesn't wear it to torture me, or if she truly is not a huge fan of it, but either way it has gotten under my skin.

"So, Ruby and Weiss are now a couple. Your plan worked perfectly." I smile to Blake who doesn't even acknowledge me. I hate it when she does this. Always involved in her book and brushing me off. When will she get that I am not trying to get in her pants? I mean, I want to, very much, but she is the one person I actually want to go out with for more than a week, and no, I don't mean eight days when I say more than a week. I genuinely have a thing for Blake Belladonna. The bookworm girl with a mysterious disposition (damn Weiss for teaching me that word), has a love for the color black, and the best of all, she's a faunus with the cutest set of cat ears! I wish she wouldn't wear that bow. I love her ears. The few times she shows them it becomes a fight between her and I to let me rub one, even if it's for a few seconds.

"Was there ever any doubt that my plan wouldn't work?" I shake my head, snapping out of my thoughts of the long list of things I could say I like about Blake.

"You know what I mean, no need to be a hostile Kitty.", I counter, hopping up onto my bed with her. She is sitting with her back against the wall and her legs fully extended. For some reason she always is on my bed when she is reading. Must be a cat thing. When I climb up, I lay down on the opposite side of the bed, taking a look at the cover of her book, tracing patterns on it with my eyes.

"Not trying to lay on my lap today, Blondie?" She lowers her book just enough so I can see her sharp stare over the top of the book.

"Nope, you are probably mad at the catnap joke I made while you were pretending to sleep, and have it in your mind to stop me the moment I try." If there was one thing I could say I knew very well about Blake, it was her love of mind games and getting even. She is one spiteful girl, but I am not much different. I just use my fists instead of my head to get even.

"Kudos to you, Xiao Long. Normally I would, but you carried out my bidding the past two days to the letter, so my lap is your reward." She keeps her eyes on me the entire time she speaks, and keeps the stare for an extra second or two before going back to her book. As far as I can see she is not baiting me in, but I hate falling for one of her revenge pranks. I sit myself up and stay still, seeing if she is looking up at me, or if she shows any sign that I am inching towards a trap.

"Are you really being serious?", I ask her while I move to my hands and knees so I can crawl towards the side of my bed she's taken over.

"You know I don't like to talk while I am reading." he answers almost immediately. With an answer like that she could be mad about the catnap comment, or she just wants me to think she is mad and have me miss out on one of the legendary wonders of Remnant: Blake's lap pillow. I close my eyes and let out a defeated sigh. I continue to crawl towards Blake and lay down to her left, and on my side. I look up at her from around the corner of her book, then back at her thighs which are half-covered by her black stockings with an emblem of a white belladonna flower on each. I look back at her one more time, and finally lean down, placing my cheek on her closest thigh, letting out a happy sigh that she was not toying with me this time.

_Well, let's see if I can push my luck_

I say to myself. I slide my right arm underneath her thigh, then grab my right wrist with my left hand, locking the leg in my grip like I usually do to my pillow when it is not fluffed up enough. She doesn't say a thing about it, but a slight tense of her leg lets me know to loosen my grip just slightly.

"Took you long enough." she says to me in her usual monotone.

"Well, it's not like you to give me your lap out of the blue", I counter, nuzzling my cheek against the stocking, my ear running along part of her pale flesh, which is pretty cold for some reason.

_Why is her leg so cold? Ugh, don't tell me . . ._

"Blakey? Put the book down for a moment? Please?" I do my best to ask with my sweetest tone. I inch my head up in her lap to peek at her face underneath the book. When she looked at me earlier she made a point to not allow me to see underneath her eyes, but as I look at them now, I can see the eye bags and clear look of fatigue. She hasn't slept at all, having this recurring dream involving Roman Torchwick, some guy that Ruby dealt with at a dust shop, and later was dealt with by Blake and Sun in a shipyard after trailing some White Fang operation.

"If this is about me not sleeping, I rather not hear it, Yang." Blake's calm voice takes a hostile change towards me. I don't like it when she is mad at me, but I need to talk to her about this.

"What is this dream about Torchwick that keeps you from sleeping? You can tell me. I'm here for you, y'know."

"It's none of your concern, Yang. I am perfectly fine."

"It is my concern, Blake! You're my partner, and I worry about you. You were on the roof again weren't you? You always go there when you can't sleep, and you refuse to put on anything warmer. You're sleep-deprived, and you're going to get pneumonia if you keep this up!" I sit up and snatch away Blake's book. I look around and find her bookmark near her side, dropping it into the page she is at. I then toss it below my bed and onto hers. I then turn my attention to the tired cat faunus, crawling and then kneeling in front of her.

"Can I have my book back?" She seriously has the guts to ask me that!?

"Not until you sleep. I'm not going to sit here and let you slowly kill yourself. Especially not before I get to take you to the dance! Don't you dare forget about our deal!" I stare her down with anger in my eyes. My now red eyes meeting her amber glare.

"And why should I go through with it!? You've always been after one thing when you find someone you want to 'date'. I'm not another one of your playthings, Yang! . . . I'm not going to let my partner hurt me again." She has no idea how deep that cut into me. I don't want her to be a one night stand. I don't want to hurt her. I want to be there for her, and I WILL . . . if she just gives me a chance.

"I'm not trying to make you a plaything, damnit!" I scream, my aura flaring out. I pull my right arm back and swing my body towards Blake, burying my forehead into her shoulder while my fist goes through the wall right next to her. I begin taking slow deep breaths, trying to calm myself down before I end up burning my bed. "If you don't want to go with me, fine . . . at least go with Sun and get some sort of enjoyment out of it." I wait a moment before carefully pulling my arm out of the wall. It's a small enough hole that I can just lay my pillow there to hide it, at least until I find a way to fix it. I lift my head from Blake's shoulder and begin turning away. She hasn't said a word, and I can't meet the death stare she is most likely giving me. Before I can turn away fully I feel a firm grip on my wrist, and another grip on my opposite shoulder, turning me back to face her. I keep my gaze low, then turn my head to look up at her. Her amber eyes not staring at me from hate, but something else. Blake's gaze is weak, and reminds me of a kitten almost – no pun intended this time.

"Blake, I-"

I don't even get to begin my sentence. Something swipes by my face, and leaves a burning sensation on my cheek. I look away from Blake's face to see her arm across her body, and her hand wide open. She slapped me.

"I didn't think blondes were stupid, but with all that blonde hair you are a downright MORON. If I wanted to go with Sun I would have already had a date. He's stopped by a few times already, and I said no to him each time. I offered to go with you out of my own will. Since when do I go with you anywhere against my own will? Are you seriously that stupid!?"

I don't even care that she is screaming at me. She admitted something just now that could not make me any happier. She wants to go to the dance with me. Blake Belladonna wants to go to the dance with me! With Yang Xiao Long!

"Of all the inconsiderate, numbskull things you could say, that is the absolute worst!" She hits me on my shoulder as she continues to rant. Two, four, eight hits and she is still screaming at me, but I have an ear to ear smile on my face.

Blake Belladonna wants to go to the dance with me. That is all that is on my mind right now.

Blake's gaze eventually softens. She's been hitting me a lot, wasting energy and tiring herself out. I can see it all over her face. I catch one of her hands when she tries to hit me again, then the other seconds later. She keeps trying to pull her hands away, but she should know that I never let go when I have something I want.

Those amber eyes. Those beautiful, glistening, amber eyes look to me. I've never seen Blake with such a harmless look on her face. I want to remember her like this forever.

"You're going to get yourself a healthy night of sleep, Blake. One way or another." My mind is made up, and she knows I won't be giving her a break. I climb down from my bed, pulling her down with me and then sit myself on hers.

"Yang, what are you doing?"

"I'm not doing anything. I'm just going to sit here, and make sure you sleep."

"I don't need a babysitter to sleep."

"But I'm a walking heater. Give it a shot. Anytime Ruby couldn't sleep I'd lay her head in my lap and just flare my aura." I smile at Blake, pulling her onto her bed. I decide to sit myself against the wall like she was earlier, making us have a complete role switch.

"This doesn't mean I want to date you." She quickly says while she rests her head on my lap. I make sure to not push my luck and keep my hands away from her bow, instead resting my hand on her shoulder.

"You don't need to date me to get a portable super heater, or for me to take you to the dance." My politest way of telling her to shut up and relax. She looks away from me and stares somewhere across the room, starting to lose herself in thought.

"Just relax and go to sleep, Kitty Cat." I whisper and smash my knuckles together, a bright orange glow resonating from my body. Slight distortions appear in the air around me from the body heat I start to let off. Within a minute I can see Blake cracking a smile and curl herself up into a more comfortable position.

"It's warm . . ." Blake murmurs before she becomes deadweight on my lap and drift into a hopefully nice slumber.

I look around for something to distract me from falling asleep myself, and spot Blake's book within arm's reach.

_I wonder what all the fuss is about with that book._

I reach out and grab it looking at the cover and shake my head, as I am able to look at the cover clearly for the first time.

_Ninjas of Love . . . I guess I'll just read from her bookmark._

I open the book and hold the bookmark where it is to make sure I do not lose Blake's page. She would kill me if I did. The book quickly gets me entertained, within the next 10 pages begins the start to a steamy and spicy scene of pure, uncensored intimacy between a rogue ninja and a geisha he just saved from a samurai compound. I begin to fidget and blush at the excess of detail to the scene, my aura calming down now that Blake is asleep, but still resonating enough heat to keep my body hot, and the area around the bed nice and warm.

I didn't even notice Ruby was at the doorway until I felt the slight breeze from the door being opened. "Hey you two. Be quiet, Kitty Cat's sleeping.", I say casually as Weiss slips in behind Ruby, still entranced by the book. I'm not worried about Blake waking up. With how exhausted she is, I am sure she could sleep through a Boarbatusk stampede. I just want some quiet so I can keep reading this sexy slice of erotica. I can hear Ruby say something but I just nod to whatever it is. I don't want to tear my eyes away.

Oooo, he's about to go inside her! I begin to get riled up as the steamy book begins to reflect in my body temperature. No wonder Blake likes these books.

"Y-Yang? Why are you-?" _Damnit Ruby! You're breaking my thoughts!_

"Shhhhhh it's just getting good!"


	9. An Alternate Ending

Chapter 9 – An Alternate Ending

"You're not getting away this time Torchwick. You're mine!" I shout, shooting the glass window of the large warehouse that I have been looking through for the past four hours. I got a lead from the bad side of town that there had been some White Fang activity near the edge of Southeast Vale. It was only a rumor, but I had no other choice but to follow it and hope it would bring me to my goal. Seems like it paid off.

I dive in through the shattered window, rolling to my feet and observing the dark warehouse and several trailer-sized containers. Oddly enough there are no White Fang present, but straight ahead of me is none other than the orange-haired, White-suited crime boss, Roman Torchwick.

"Nice to see you again, Kitty. I know you aren't stupid enough to come after me alone. Where's Banana Boy? Red? What about the creepy kid that took down two of my airships?" He's spinning his cane-cannon; that damned Melodic Cudgel of his. Just because he was able to take care of me one time, he thinks I will let him get the best of me a second time.

"I don't need anybody to deal with you, Torchwick!" I snarl, grasping the string of my bow and pulling it off, exposing my cat ears. I tie the bow to the end of the hilt/trigger of the katana of Gambol Shroud, and wrap the rest of the long ribbon around my right arm. Slowly I pull the cleaver-hilt of Gambol Shroud off of the katana, and hold it in my left hand. With the katana in my right, I give a flick of the hilt, making it shift into its compact, striker fired pistol form.

"No need to be so hostile. Look, we can sit down, strike a deal, and I will be out of here with all this dust by morning." As he speaks he constantly waves around his cudgel in a casual manner. He should know that I have no interest in striking a deal with criminal scum.

"I'm not here to strike a deal, Torchwick!", I scream, aiming my pistol at him and not hesitating to pull the trigger. He quickly raises his cane up, twirling it in his fingers to block the oncoming bullet with an audible sigh as he grips his cane by the handle and begins walking towards me.

"Hope you gave Banana Boy a kiss goodbye, then." He enters striking distance, winding his cane up over his head and swinging it wildly at my head. I raise my cleaver to intercept it, and change my pistol back to its katana form before swinging it towards his kneecap.

Our exchange begins, Torchwick blocking my alternating attacks with ease. Bringing his cane down to block my katana, high to block my cleaver, and waiting patiently for his time to counter. I grow angry at his defensive posture, switching my katana into its pistol form once more and tossing it at his head. As expected he tilts his head just enough to avoid the bladed top hitting him, but with the dim lighting of the warehouse, he can't see the dark ribbon attached to gambol shroud.

I smirk, raking my arm back to cause the ribbon to clench the trigger and cause my gun to fire, sending it spinning back towards me, and more importantly, at the back of Roman's head. I swing my cleaver at him as well. He can't dodge both. I finally have him. My eyes widen when I see him swing his cane behind his head, giving it a swift twirl to wrap the ribbons attached to my katana-gun, and adjust the trajectory of the oncoming weapon around him, right to my cleaver to be precise. The result being my own spinning gun hitting my cleaver out of my hand, and the ribbon still being wrapped around the barrel of Melodic Cudgel.

"Face it, Kitty, you can't win. We're leagues apart." He grins, yanking his cane far behind his head, forcing me to step forward when the ribbon stretches out as far as it can go and tugs at my arm. The moment I get closer he grabs his cane by the barrel, and swings it at the foot I just used to step forward, hooking my ankle with the curved handle of the cane and tripping me down to my back.

_Shit that hurts!_

I close my eyes and clench the back of my head from the impact of my head to the marble floor. Upon opening my eyes I am met with the sight of the gun barrel of Melodic Cudgel aimed right between my eyes, and the flip-open target sight assisting Roman's aim at point blank range.

"Maybe next time, Kitty . . . oh wait." He starts to laugh at his own joke, pressing the barrel to my forehead and savoring the look of mixed fear and disgust on my face. I can see his thumb shifting over to the trigger, applying gentle pressure to it, starting the countdown within my head until everything goes blank.

"Farewell Kitty Cat." He smirks at me, my eyes closing tight. The echoing sound of the shot ringing in my ears, but it never connects with me. I open my eyes to see Yang standing in front of me, and Torchwick a few yards away, flat on his ass. The shot I heard earlier was none other than Ember Celica.

"So you're the famous crime boss? Gotta say, the emo hair doesn't work for you. Ever think of going with something more . . . Italian?" Yang chooses the worst time for her humor. I gaze at Torchwick from around her long, powerful legs. Even on his removed in ass he still has a firm hold on Melodic Cudgel, and quickly aims at Yang for a quick shot. Yang easily counters with her own blast from Ember Celica.

"Y'know, I never knew you swung that way, Kitty Cat. But I suppose you are what you eat." Roman's arrogant smirk still on his face as she stands to his feet while the debris clears.

"She's not my girlfriend." Yang snarls, the quick response making my ears fold against my head, at least until I hear the second half of her sentence. "Not until our first date, anyway."

"As much as I'd love to stick around for the fish market buffet. I'm in a bit of a rush today. Neo!" At Roman's beckon a girl with pink and brown hair appears out of the shadows, landing next to him with an umbrella in hand. She doesn't say a word, but shoots a warm smile at Yang before waving her umbrella and making her exit by leaving a clone of her and Roman that eventually shatter like glass.

"Damnit! Not again!" I scream, punching the marble floor.

"One step at a time, Blake. At least you survived this time." Yang says while she steps over to help me up.

"'Survived this time'? What is that supposed to mean?", I ask while grabbing Yang's hand and having the tall blonde pull me to my feet.

"I told you, Blake. You are bound to get a good night's sleep if I used my aura on you."

I stare at Yang, dumbfounded. I gaze about the warehouse, seeing all of the large containers gone, and when I look in front of me, Yang is gone too.

"Get some rest, Blake. I'm here for you" I hear Yang's voice echo in my head.

Get some rest? I ask to myself, though my internal thought echoes throughout the warehouse.

* * *

I open my eyes to the sight of Yang out cold leaning against a wall with her head drooping forward. As I gaze around the room I realize that we are on my bed, and in the same position I fell asleep in. I look to the nearby dresser, spotting that it is 5:30 in the morning.

_Damn, I slept for what? Eleven hours?_

I stretch out, feeling the knots in my back gone, most likely courtesy of Yang's heat therapy.

I feel great! I purr, climb out of bed and take a moment to look at Yang and realize she did not move a muscle all night. No dinner, no pillow, and not even being able to move because she had me on her lap the entire night. I lean over the bed, carefully placing one hand over her lips, while I shake her shoulder with my other hand. The Blonde Brawler wakes up with a slight startle, until she sees my amber eyes in the darkness.

"Yang, it is 5:30 in the morning, you haven't slept comfortably all night. How about you lay down and go to sleep again?" I smile at her, but she gives a lazy shake of her head and stands up. Making her way to the door, still disoriented by sleep. I have no idea where she is going, but I quickly run in front of her to open the door, not wanting her to bang into it and wake up the newly coupled girls.

_Speaking of which . . ._

I look over to their respective beds, a bit upset to see them both sleeping on their own beds instead of laying together. I quickly leave the room, following after Yang and closing the door behind me. She surprisingly did not get very far, and is sitting on the floor at the edge of the hallway, motioning me over.

_What is she up to?_ I think, walking up next to her and leaning against the wall to sit with the drowsy brawler.

"Sleep well?" she asks me while twisting her hips, several loud cracks of her back making me shiver and feel even worse than I already did.

"Like a baby . . . but it seems you didn't. Why didn't you leave me after I fell asleep? Or at least get a bit more comfortable?" I raise an eyebrow, looking into Yang's lilac and bloodshot eyes. My god, she must not have slept well at all.

"Well . . . I kind of was focusing my aura for most of the night. I fell asleep around 3AM from exhaustion."

_Yup, I feel like a complete ass._

I close my eyes and let out a soft sigh, "What am I going to do with you? You better get some sleep tonight. I am not going to go to the dance with a sleep-deprived woman." I peek out the corner of my eye at Yang, seeing her smile from my comment.

"Anyway, let's go back and enjoy the next hour of sleep. I'm sure you need it. You can sleep on my lap this time." I smile while I stand up, tugging the blonde beauty up and helping her back into the room.

_I could read another chapter or two of Ninjas of Love while she is asleep. It all works out._


	10. No Hair, No Dress, No Logic

_**POV:**_ _**?**_

_**Chapter 10 – No Hair, No Dress, No Logic**_

"Begin!", Professor Goodwitch screams, starting to look at her scroll and gauge the aura levels of myself and my opponent. I look ahead of me to see the six foot, slender physique advancing towards me. She is wearing a light-brown and gold colored strapless top that has more of a corset-like style to it with how it hugs and flaunts her concave love handles. Above her top she wears a long bronze gorget that hugs her neck. At the center of it is a green gem that pales in comparison to the vivid-green of her eyes. Above her eyes, but hidden beneath her bangs is a bronze circlet that can be seen more clearly from the side of her head. To cover her waist and thighs she is wearing a red A-line miniskirt, completing her outfit with a bronze bracer on her left hand that she uses to help hold her shield.

I take a deep breath and begin my advance towards her. Her long, waist-long hair swaying behind her as she approaches me with a smile on her face. I am up against the girl who is on the cover of every box of one of my favorite cereals: Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes. Why did Goodwitch have to pick me to go up against Pyrrha? A world-renowned fighter who has spent hours of her evenings training me to better myself.

"Shield up!" I hear her command me.

I quickly grab my sheath from my left hip and hold it in my left hand. I draw my sword from it, at the same time making the sheath expand to display the large emblem of two arcs that almost resemble a crescent moon on the front of my sheath-shield hybrid. My poor Crocea Mors will be going against the deadly combination of Miló: Pyrrha's short sword, spear, and long-range rifle hybrid, and Akoúo̱: her trusty shield that has a concave cutout on each side that gives her the ability to strike with her spear out without needing to expose herself to an attack. As Pyrrha and I near each other, she quickly starts off the temp with an overhead strike with Miló in its short sword form. My training with her has given me a chance to hone my reflexes, but it still amazes me at how fast I am able to lift my shield up and parry her strike and follow with a horizontal slash of my sword. Pyrrha sucks in her stomach and pushes her hips backwards, bending her abdomen just enough to avoid the tip of my sword, but surprisingly I cut a small piece of the fabric.

_Is she going easy on me?_

"Pyrrha! If you're holding back I won't forgive you!" I stare at her, switching into my defensive stance – my shield out in front of me, and my sword held firmly at my side with the tip pointed towards her.

"I'm sorry, Jaune. Very well." She answers, giving me another smile. This time she steps up and does the same swing, I raise my shield up once again to block it, but this time see her strike is going diagonally downward, missing both me, and my shield, and sending her into a quick spin

_Shit, it's a feint!_

I realize it too late, her spinning motion giving her enough momentum to smack me firmly with her shield in a derived motion of a spinning back fist. The impact is strong and sends me rolling away from her and quickly rising back to my feet. She truly isn't holding back now and is already right back in my face. We begin exchanging strikes of sword and shield. One strike from me being blocked results in her throwing two strikes in return, flaunting her talents and dominant fighting form. She outclasses me in every aspect: speed, power, cunning, but there is something I am worried about. I know all of her tricks with her shield and sword stance, I can keep up with her just barely, but if she switches to her spear I am done for. I have never sparred with Pyrrha using her spear, and I am sure that if she is going all out, she may decide to use it. If I am going to beat her, I am going to need to be a little unorthodox in my approach.

I begin counting her steps, building her rhythm within my head along with the sounds of our exchanges.

_Step, strike, strike, step, block, step, strike, step, strike, strike, step block._

I nod my head, waiting for her two strikes to make my move. As soon as I block her second attack I swing my sword, she steps into a defensive stance and lifts her shield to block it. At the same time I raise my left foot to kick her in the stomach. She sees my foot coming, but she can't use her sword to stop me, as a matter of fact she tosses her sword into the air and brings her hand towards my foot, some invisible force forcing my foot down to the ground, and my sword strike being blocked.

_How the hell did she- Ugh, I forgot about her semblance!_

Since I still did not know my semblance, Pyrrha never used hers on me during our private practice sessions, but I did tell her to not hold back on me. She has a reputation as being 'The Invincible Girl', and I won't let her go easy on me and lose a prestigious title because she wants to be nice.

"Sorry, Jaune. Maybe next time." She comments to me. I think she is just referencing my attempt, but by her next action I know she is referencing the entire battle. I look at her right hand, her recently tossed Miló being caught, but is now in its spear form. I quickly make my advance towards her. I can't let her enter her stance. I need to keep her off balance.

I rush at her with constant strikes of my sword, each one being blocked, but she needs to keep backstepping, attempting to gain enough distance to posture herself. After my seventh or eighth strike she realizes I am not giving her the opening she wants, and parries my next strike with a swift backhand-slapping motion to my sword with her shield. I go wide-eyed, forgetting her amazing strength as the parry forces my arm to go over my head while I try to regain control over my sword.

She used all her strength for her parry, leaving her shield-arm extended outwards, and her body unprotected. Seeing this I let go of my shield and grab my sword with both hands, dragging it downwards as fast as I can in the form of an overhead slash. _I got her!_ I scream to myself, but yet again I am one step behind. Pyrrha purposefully had her arm fully extended, as a matter of fact she had her arm like that so she can throw her shield at my hand and disarm me completely. With my sword out of hand I quickly make a motion to grab the fallen blade, but her spear is right at my neck.

"And that's the match." I can hear Professor Goodwitch claim. "Thank you Miss Nikos, Mister Arc."

I lean down and grab my shield, shrinking it into its sheath form and place my blade inside before returning it to my hip. As I rise up to leave through one of the entry tunnels I feel something make contact with my shoulder. It's Pyrrha's hand.

"Sorry for using my semblance, Jaune. I know it's an unfair advantage, but you did tell me not to hold back." She keeps her smile strong, and it makes me smile in return as we make our way out.

"It's fine, just wish I could have gotten in one hit, heheh." I scratch the back of my head. As we leave the area, Pyrrha decides to go to her locker and switch back into her uniform, leaving me to go back to our dorm room to change.

_Actually, I saw Ruby, Weiss, and Blake today, but not Yang. Didn't get a chance to ask if she's okay._ As I arrive at the room, I look over my shoulder at the door to Team RWBY's room. _Can't hurt to just knock. _I say to myself, and walk to the other side of the hall to do just that. I give three hard knocks and patiently wait for someone to answer the door. I can hear a lot of rumbling, stumbling and fumbling from behind the door, making me wonder if everything is going alright.

"Y-you alright in there?" I ask, shortly before the door opens to the sight of Yang with a messy mane and bloodshot, lilac eyes.

"What do you want, Jaune?" She asks with a groan, clearly tired, although it is pretty close to noon.

"Um, I saw you weren't in sparring practice, today. I thought something happened . . . but it looks like you are just catching up on some sleep. Up all night?"

"Kinda, didn't get much sleep, woke up at 5:30, went back to sleep, and here I am." she says, looking at me with half opened eyes, clearly wanting to go back to sleep.

"Ah, well good luck with that. Sorry to bother." I smile, and turn around to go back to the room.

"Oh, are you going to the dance with Pyrrha?" I pause and look over my shoulder at Yang after she asks the question,

"Ummm, I haven't asked. I'm sure she has a long list of people to go with. I don't have a chance."

"Jaune, you have a lot to learn. Come in." She opens the door wide, and I realize that she must have slept in her school uniform since she is still wearing it, and it is extremely wrinkled. I nod and step into the room. It's actually my first time in Team RWBY's room, and the first thing I notice are their makeshift bunk beds. These things are poorly setup, one being held up by four strong ropes, which look like they could give out at any time. The other set of beds being stacked one on top of the other with a stack of six or seven books between each bedpost to give more separation between the two.

"Um . . . those don't look safe." I observe while Yang grabs a chair for me to sit in, and her taking a seat on the lower bed of the two beds with the stack of books.

"Okay, Jaune. Do you know for sure Pyrrha doesn't have a date?"

"Um, well. I mean. She's the most popular girl in school. She has to have a date already." I respond, with my logical thinking.

"And if she doesn't have a date?" Yang asks with a lack of amusement in her voice.

"Psh, if she doesn't have a date, I'll wear a dress." I sigh.

"Alright, if you ask her and she doesn't have a date, then you'll go with her . . . and wear a dress during the second half of the event. Fair enough?" I raise an eyebrow. Yang seems all to confident that Pyrrha is not going with anyone, but I know better than that.

"Deal, but if I am right and she already has a date?" I ask, wanting to make sure the terms are at least fair.

"I'll cut my hair." Yang says flatly. To think that she would even throw her hair into a bet is pretty intimidating, but I know Pyrrha too well, and she has never shown any sort of interest with me. She's just my partner, best friend, and sparring buddy.

"Alright. How are Ruby and Weiss doing anyway? It's only been a day, but do they seem happy and all?"

"They're fine. Ruby is all lovey-dovey with Weiss, and Weiss is still trying to adjust. It's pretty humorous." Yang cracks a smile and a quick chuckle before standing up and walking me to the door.

"Thanks for the company, Jaune. I'll see you at lunch or dinner, depending what I'm in the mood for."

"Alright, bye Yang." I say back to her before the door closes.

As I exit the room, Pyrrha is just arriving and sees me leave and say by farewell to Yang, and has a weird look on her face.

"Hello, Jaune. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just didn't see Yang at the arena so I wanted to make sure she was okay. No biggie."

Pyrrha nods her head and opens the room door. Surprisingly, Nora and Ren have not returned yet. I close the door behind me after Pyrrha enters.

_Well, here goes nothing I guess._

"So, Pyrrha . . ." I ask, scratching the back of my head.

"Is something wrong?" She asks, giving me her full attention pretty quickly.

"Well, I was actually curious as to who you are going to the dance with. It's in six days y'know"

"Oh . . . Well, I actually do have someone in mind. He's very sweet and appreciates me for who I am, rather than my fame. He just has not asked me yet, but I am sure he will soon" Pyrrha's answers me with that trademark smile of hers, but at this point I am anything but smiling.

"Oh. That's great to hear. Do I know him?" I ask, slightly disheartened.

"You do actually, better than you know."

"Wait, you're going with Ren? I thought he was taking Nora."

"No, Jaune . . . I am not going with Ren" She lets out a small laugh at my comment.

"Well, I don't really know any other guys in Beacon. . .

. . . Oh for the love of Remnant, you're not going with Cardin are you?" I look at her in shock, hoping I am wrong.

"No, Jaune. I would never go with someone like Cardin. He's rude, inconsiderate, and shows no care for anyone other than himself. Are you . . . going with Yang?" She asks, looking at me with an odd gleam in her eye. Something I haven't seen from her often, aside from when we are training.

"No, I um. She was helping me gather up the courage to ask someone, and we made a bet whether or not that person has a date or not."

"Oh? And what are the terms of the bet?" Pyrrha asks, sitting down and eagerly listening. I decide to sit down next to her while I explain.

"If she doesn't have a date, then I will go to the dance with said person, and I will have to wear a dress during the second half of the party. If the person does have a date, then Yang will cut her hair." The second half of the terms making Pyrrha laugh and fall back on the bed, gripping her stomach.

"I fear Yang may have your dress ready tomorrow, Jaune. She would never make such an agreement, unless she knew she was in no position to lose."

"Well, based on what you said, I already won the bet. I just need to go and tell Yang you already have someone in mind." Pyrrha's face shifting to shock and surprise before sitting up and staring at me with her beautiful, jade colored eyes.

"Wait, you made the bet on me?"

"Um, yeah." I begin scratching the back of my head, letting out a loud sigh. "I told Yang that with how popular you are, there is no way you wouldn't have a date."

"Jaune, I think you confused my words."

"Huh?"

"The person I am waiting for to ask me . . . is you." I sit there stunned, my jaw dropped.

_So? Does that mean…_

"So, ummmm, dance? Sunday?" I ask with a nervous touch to my voice.

"I would be delight to accompany you, Jaune. I'll make sure Yang picks out a sensible dress at the very least." Pyrrha begins to giggle, and I throw myself backwards into the bed.

_Jaune Arc, you got yourself into yet another mess._


	11. When One Rose Isn't Enough

**POV: WEISS SCHNEE**

**_Chapter 11 – When One Rose Isn't Enough_**

"Ruby Rose! Where are you taking me!?" I scream to the girl tugging me along with her through Beacon's Emerald Forest. The moment Jaune's sparring match with Pyrrha ended, Ruby took off with me in tow, leading me on the current mystery trip.

"We're almost there, Weiss! Just keep up!"

Keep up? You dare tell me to keep up when you're pulling me with you and threatening to tear my arm out of its socket!?

"Ruby, if you keep this up, the only part of me that will keep up with you is my removed arm that you keep YANKING ON!"

The small redhead stops, letting go of my arm with an audible 'oops'. She is such a task to deal with, but I already know this. I will be dealing with a much more excited girl from now on, but I have no problem with it.

"Ruby, where are we going?" I ask, following the now walking Crimsonette. She keeps looking at the ground, and as I follow where she is looking I see portions of cookies dropped at different parts at the base of the many trees in the forest, marking which way to turn. Wherever she is guiding me, she made it a point to mark the path. After a few more turns and a five minute walk, we come across a beautiful sight to behold.

A large lake surrounding a small island, no bigger than the sparring grounds within Beacon Academy. Within the middle of the island is a large tree that appears to be glistening with health. My jaw drops at the beautiful spectacle of nature, and at that instant I lose sight of Ruby. I walk up to the edge of the water, trying to get as close as I can without getting my heels wet and muddy. The lake is of fresh water, and the water is completely settled, allowing me to gaze into the beautiful blue reflection and see the tree from a different angle along with the reflection of the high-noon sunlight.

"Weiss! Are you coming or not?" I hear a yelling off in the distance. I look towards the voice, seeing Ruby halfway around the lake with several logs floating in the water, each log cut in half to allow the flat, orange texture to face up and create a makeshift bridge towards the island I have been admiring. I follow to where Ruby is, catching myself entering a small jog to hurry over to the girl who is beckoning me to go onto a log that I expect to wiggle and shake with each step I take.

As I step onto the first one, it indeed begins to shake, and I freeze in place. The log is easily about 15 feet long, and there are three logs set up from here to the center of the lake. Perhaps my balancing skills are poor, but I doubt the average person can make it there without a problem.

"Something wrong?" I hear Ruby's innocent voice ask with a hint of disappointment at my hesitation to advance.

"I don't want to fall in." I say, looking over my shoulder to meet the silver eyes. A look of embarrassment shows on my face when she begins laughing. I suppose she made this same walk with ease and expected me to have the same agility that she does, but her response leaves me in shock.

"I know that, silly. I was wondering when you'd say it." Ruby smiles at me and holds her hand out to help me down. She can be quite the lady when she desires to. I reach out, trying to grasp her hand, but prior to her digits connecting, she slides one arm behind my back, and uses the other to scoop my legs off of the floor, carrying me in a bridal stance.

"R-Ruby Rose! Put me down this instant!" I yell at her, but I am ignored. I feel her begin to walk and sway, and when I look over my shoulder at the ground, all I see is my reflection. I gaze ahead of us, and surely enough she is walking along each log with ease. The large tree I have been admiring comes closer and closer into view. The end of the first log is coming up, and I wonder if Ruby's legs are long enough to cross the moderately sized gap.

"Don't get scared." I hear her say to me, and I look at her in confusion. Suddenly there is a strong gust in my face, causing me to close my eyes. I feel a swift movement and cling to the strong crimson-haired girl that carries me without any sign of effort. I open my eyes to look behind Ruby. We are several yards off the ground, and I can spot the log we were just on, based on the small pile of rose petals resting at the edge. My silver-eyed dolt used her semblance to jump from the edge of the first log, and bring us to a graceful landing on the island. She probably made the trip herself a few times without the logs, and simply set them up for me to use as a bridge. If she had asked me to bring Myrtenaster I could have used it to glyph my way over, but she wanted this all to be a surprise to me.

"After you, Princess." Ruby whispers while setting me down on my feet. She directs me around the tree trunk, to an area I could not see from where we entered, or from where I was admiring the large work of nature from afar. I am greeted with the sight of a large red blanket, neatly draped on the floor with four large rocks holding each corner down. On the center of the blanket is an unopened picnic basket, embedded in the side of the basket is the black emblem of a rose.

"Ruby . . . this is . . . flawless." I continue to stare at the beautiful scenery, failing to spot a few more hidden surprises that my charming girlfriend stowed away. I see Ruby kick off her combat boots, sending them flying against the tree prior to stepping on the blanket. I carefully step out of my heels and join her on the large red sheet, seating myself down near the basket, and the romantic redhead planting herself at my side.

"Glad you like it, Weiss. I wish I could say I made all the food in the basket myself, but I did ask Blake to help me this morning." She says while opening the basket and pulling out two sandwiches both cut triangularly, and poorly wrapped in a small amount of plastic.

"Cold cuts? Where did you have time to get cold cuts?" I look over to Ruby who is scratching the back of her head and giggling.

"Actually, those are Blake's too, she keeps them in the mini-fridge." I sigh, shaking my head, not because of where the food was obtained, but because I am well aware it must have come with a catch.

"What did you agree to do for Blake?" My question causing a nervous giggle from my teammate.

"Well, she actually didn't ask for anything too complicated. Blake just wanted me to give her some combat tips."

"Blake gave you two days' worth of her personal food storage, and only requested combat tips? Ruby Rose, I know Blake better than that. What did she want?"

"She really wanted combat tips! I swear. She just . . . well, she wanted combat tips on Yang." I quirk my brow, pondering as to why Blake would want to know how to deal with Yang in a brawl.

"So, you sold out your sister's weaknesses to help create a romantic lunch with me?"

"Yes?" Ruby answers, shrugging her shoulders in a hesitant and unsure manner. I smile, placing my hand on Ruby's cheek and tug her towards me, pressing my nose and forehead to hers.

"That is bad of you to sell out your sister, but it is one of the sweetest things you could have done for me. I mean, if it were anyone else I would be scolding you right now, but it is only Blake. What evil could she do knowing her own partner's weakness?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Anyway, let's eat! Hope you like tuna!"

"Why am I not surprised being that this is from Blake?" I chuckle, taking a closer look at the sandwiches, seeing the thin layers of tuna in each. I am no fan of tuna, mainly because of the tuna-breath that follows.

"Ruby, I have nothing against tuna, but could we eat it before we leave instead of right now?"

"Um, I guess so, but why?" Ruby tilts her head. Of course she wouldn't get what I was implying.

"I refuse to kiss my girlfriend while she or I have tuna breath." I say flatly. The expression on Ruby's face could only be categorized by the word 'priceless'. I am unable to help but giggle at the expectation I built in her head.

"Does that mean I get one right now?" Ruby asks, the little redhead already inching towards me with growing anxiousness.

"Not yet." My response earns a groan of dissatisfaction from her. She then begins digging into the basket and pulls out a rectangular, red box with the image of what appears to be some sort of thin, round wafer stick coated in a thin layer of chocolate.

"If I can't kiss you, then we'll play a game!" Ruby shouts in a more than cheery attitude. She has something planned, and it appears to be tied to the contents of that box.

"And what game will that be?" I ask, deciding to go along with her game.

"It's called the Pocky Game!" Ruby smiles, opening up the box, and tearing the top off one of the two pouches inside. She crawls over to me and kneels over my lap, confirming what I believed was the image on the box when she takes out one of the chocolate-dipped wafer sticks and hands it to me by the uncoated side.

"And what do I do with this?" I ask, observing the chocolaty treat. Of course Ruby would find something to play that involved sweets. She never ceases to amaze me with her love of junk food.

"You put the end with no chocolate in your mouth and just follow what I do. It's super easy. Whoever pulls away loses".

Whoever pulls away loses? That's sort of abstract don't you think?

I shrug my shoulders, carefully placing the wafer in my lips and place my hands at my sides so I can lean comfortably against them and wait to get a better idea of how this 'game' of hers works. It all becomes clear what this game will result in when Ruby bites into the other end of the wafer and begins chewing her way down towards me.

Touché, Ruby Rose, touché

I already agreed to her game, and I will not be the one to lose. I begin to nibble my way towards her lips as well, chocolate beginning to coat the center of my lips as I brush them along the chocolate stick. My eyes are closed, and after a few nibbles I feel Ruby's nose brush along mine. I tilt my head to the side, making our noses brush by each other.

The moment Ruby's lips touch mine, she pulls my hands off of the ground, making me fall flat on my back with her still on top of me. I can feel Ruby's warm hands on me. One on my cheek, the other on the back of my neck. She holds me in her clutches, licking the chocolate off of my lips before she sends her wet muscle to traverse within my mouth and assert herself into a kiss with me.

I begin to squirm underneath her. This is our second kiss, but she is treating it like we have done this so many times. I lift my hands up, resting them on her hips, trying to keep my body under control, but I am starting to heat up. Ruby is now resting her full weight on top of me, moaning into my lips with every passing second. We remember to manage our breathing this time, brushing our fingers through each other's hair and cherishing the light breeze that blows by. I feel a dampness drenching my thighs after it soaks through my light blue panties with a white heart right in the center.

I keep kissing my Crimsoness lover, then roll over to break away, my entire body shaking in response to what felt like over half an hour of lip locking. I sit myself up, taking long, slow breaths to calm myself down. Ruby is lying still in the same position I put her in, most likely daydreaming of what just happened. After a few minutes of silence and both of us returning to a normal state of mind, Ruby sits up, smiling ear to ear at me.

"Well, how about we eat those sandwiches now, Weiss?" Ruby asks while she reaches for one, only for me to smack her hand away.

"How many more of those 'Pockies' are in the box?"

"Ummmm….somewhere between 29 and 39…..I didn't count"

"Well, let's play once more, and we'll work on finishing those before the day is done." My cheeks redden at my bold suggestion, and Ruby is quick to reach for the box and pull another one out, placing the uncoated end in her lips this time, beckoning me to bite into the chocolate treat and begin round two. Just before I do, however, she pulls it out of her lips and grins at me.

"Forgot to say, I win round one….you pulled away."

I give Ruby a poke to the forehead and place the wafer back into her lips. I grasp her hands and hold them above her head with one of mine, cupping her cheek with my free hand and smirk at her.

"Well, looks like I'll need to even the score, now won't I?"

I lean down, wrapping my lips around the chocolate wafer and begin chewing down to meet my silver-eyed dolt in a second sweet kiss. I hold her arms above her head, trailing my free hand along her cheek, neck, hip, and torso. I don't want to touch any of her hidden passions, but I want her to know the feeling of my delicate touch. I want to hear her moan in frustration when I pull my hand away. To look at me with those beautiful, yearning eyes. I want to kiss her like this and do much, much more.

As I drag my fingers along her side, pressing in with slightly increasing pressure and strokes of my cold digits, I hear her moan and arch her back, reacting to my most modest of caresses. My traversing fingers continuing their assault on her hip, finding one of Ruby's tickle spots that draw out a high-pitched squeal. I let out a cheek to cheek smile when my unfair play makes Ruby turn away to giggle.

"All tied up, Ruby Rose." I whisper to her and happily sit down to eat my tuna sandwich.

"That's not fair, you cheated!" the younger girl protests, but begins to eat her sandwich as well. I must admit, whatever Blake put in these sandwiches, they complement the tuna rather well.

"All's fair in love and war, Dolt." I speak after swallowing.

"And this is definitely a war!"

"Dolt, hurry up and eat. We need to get back to the dorm before Yang comes out hunting for me."

"Oh! Just one more thing, Weiss!" I turn my head, looking at Ruby as she stands up. She walks over to the base of the large tree and reaches under one of the roots, a small ditch being there, probably from some form of small Grim. When Ruby finds what she wants, she turns around and holds out a single red rose, most likely taken from a rosebush from the garden in Beacon. I take the rose from her, and give her a kiss on her cheek. We exchange a loving stare, and a warmth in our hearts.

I now know that there is nothing that could ever make me hate or separate from my darling Ruby Rose.


	12. Kryptonite (Part I)

_**POV:**_ _**BLAKE**_ _**BELLADONNA**_

_**Chapter 12 – Kryptonite (Part I)**_

I smile softly as I take my time walking back to the dorm. It's almost 12:30 in the afternoon and Ruby has already taken off with Weiss to that little hideout of hers in the forest. I'll need to tail them one day to see why Ruby loves that spot so much, and even wanted to take Weiss there today. Speaking of Ruby wanting to take Weiss out . . . I was able to get myself some very nice information in exchange for two tuna sandwiches. I suppose I could settle for school food, or skip out on a Friday class to go to Vale and manage an early shopping trip, but with what I have planned, I doubt I will be needing to.

I climb up the nearby stairwell B, making my way up to the fourth floor. As I pull the door open I feel the large wooden door shake and wiggle, making me extra careful as I pull it by the handle.

_Someone pulled it loose from its hinges, that's pretty odd._

While walking down the long hallway, I spot a familiar intersection that branches off in three different directions. I make a left after passing the door at the intersection with several carrot stickers and a well-made plaque containing Velvet's name on it, I hear Yang saying farewell to someone. I pause in place and backtrack to around the corner to listen in on what is going on. They are far, but it's no problem for my ears to catch.

"Thanks for the company, Jaune. I'll see you at lunch, or dinner, depending on what I'm in the mood for."

_What I'm in the mood for? Jaune is in the room? Yang, I hope you have better tastes in that, especially since we all know Pyrrha likes him. I swear if he so much as touched you . . ._

I place a hand over my chest, feeling my heartbeat racing. I take a long, deep sigh, continuing to listen in. I shouldn't jump to conclusions. What was that feeling just now?

"Alright, bye Yang" I hear Jaune say. I hear a door closing, assuming that Yang closed the door already. After breaking myself off the wall I turn the corner and begin walking towards my room, spotting Jaune and Pyrrha talking briefly prior to entering their own room. Upon their disappearance from the hallway, I change to a small jog to hurry to my room, pulling out my scroll and placing it to the mechanical lock. I hear the deadlatch move from its position, allowing me to push the door open to see Yang sitting on my bed, with my book Ninjas of Love in hand. I look at her, but she is too into the reading material to notice me. My cheeks begins to burn with embarrassment of having someone read a work of literature I am ashamed to keep within this room. I currently had all four volumes of Ninjas of Love, and Yang was here reading the first volume.

_Wait, I keep the first three in my locker, and the fourth I keep with me at all times. How the hell did she know my locker combination!?_

I quickly step further into the room, giving me enough space to slam the room door and startle Yang. The red-handed thief now fumbling my book in her hands before placing it behind her back and giving me a warm-hearted, and clearly nervous smile.

"Hey Blakey! You're back early. I thought you would be y'know . . . eating lunch?" Yang was right, I usually take my sandwich and eat on the roof, then read another chapter of my book before returning. However, since I was rushed in the morning to assist Ruby in my art of sandwich crafting while Weiss was showering and Yang was far too fatigued to move, I forgot to prepare my own sandwich, leading me back to the room a little earlier than I had planned.

"I forgot my sandwich. How, and when did you go into my locker?" I ask, at the same time the interrogated blonde takes the book from behind her back and places it on the nearby dresser.

"Early today. I woke up around 8:30, so when I went to the locker room. You, Ruby, and Weiss were already in the sparring arena. I went in, took your book, and came back here to read and fell asleep after the third chapter. I would have been sleeping still if Jaune hadn't come by to check on me since I wasn't in the area today."

_That explains why Jaune was here at least, and it does make sense. He shows a good value in his friendships. But that does not explain . . ._

"How did you know my locker combination?"

"Blake, with you being a bookworm, it wasn't hard to guess that your combination is also the room number for the library."

_. . . Why is she smart when she wants to be? If she applied this sort of effort in class, perhaps she'd at least be on track with Ruby._

"Ugh, and why were you reading that? I'm sure there are plenty of books in here that you could have read instead."

"Hehehe, well I kind of stayed up all night reading Volume Four and- . . . Crap, I wasn't suppose to say that."

The look of rage on my face to Yang's words could not be explained at all. I woke up to a groggy blonde, sitting in an uncomfortable position and sacrificing her sleep for me. Perhaps she was maintaining her aura the entire night, but I am sure that her reading the most erotic volume of Ninjas of Love (by far, since the series is still ongoing) assisted her in maintaining that warmth.

"Are you telling me . . . that you were up all night reading, and then dared to pass it off to me that you were staying awake for the sole purpose of making sure I slept well throughout the night!?" I begin walking towards Yang with a look of mixed anger and annoyance.

"I wasn't up all night reading, okay! After I read a few chapters I got really hot and all, and I wasn't going to do that with you on my lap, or move away and risk you waking up. So, yeah, I was reading until maybe 1AM or so, but me trying to calm down and actually fall asleep lasted until 3."

I pause after hearing Yang's words. It seems very logical, and also has me appreciate that she decided to not handle herself with me that close. Surely the scent would have woken me up, and I would have been less than pleased. With that in mind, her use of the word 'exhaustion' to explain how she fell asleep becomes slightly clearer, as Yang used such a broad word to avoid lying while still hiding the truth. While recalling the conversation Yang and I had this morning, I remember something very important.

"Anyway, I forgot to say this this morning, but thank you, Yang."

"For?"

"The restful night's sleep. I needed it."

"Does that mean I'm off the hook?"

"You're off the hook."

"And I can keep reading these? I promise to not bend the pages!" There goes Yang with that enthusiasm that can only be rivaled by her half-sister, Ruby.

"Yes, Yang. You can keep reading . . . but if I so as much hear that Ruby or Weiss obtain any of my erotica . . ."

"They won't, they won't." Yang brushes off my threat with confidence. She slips off of the bed, heading into the bathroom to most likely shower and detangle her hair. As I hear the door close, I remember something important; the plan I wanted to carry out today.

"Shame you're tired, Yang. I feel so well rested now that I feel like a new person. I could probably beat you without getting a scratch on me." There's an audible silence in the bathroom. I grin, waiting for Yang to burst through that door, ready to try to prove me wrong, and sure enough, the door opens with a less than amused blondie exiting.

"Don't get too cocky, Kitty Cat. I've caught up on my sleep. All I need's a little water on my face and an energy drink, and I am at 100%!" Yang steps up to me, giving me a challenging smirk while I look up at her. I sometimes forget she is two inches taller than me.

"Well if you want to prove me wrong, then get your face wet and let's go." Yang grins, leaning down to me, close enough for me to almost think she is trying to kiss me. Her grin switches to a smirk, and she takes the chance to run her finger along my chin, earning a look of dissatisfaction from me when she stands upright once more.

"As much as I'd love to get my face wet for you, Kitty Cat. I told myself I wouldn't until after our first date."

_Damn your quick witted flirtations, Yang!_

"Just hurry up and let's go to the sparring arena." I see Yang turn to go to the bathroom, and I let out a loud sigh when the door closes. I rub my thighs together and slap myself on both cheeks a few times, simultaneously to shake out the perverse thoughts Yang placed in my mind. While Yang is in the bathroom I decide to go across the hall to JNPR's room and knock. I am greeted by Pyrrha who opens the door, and I sight Jaune over her shoulder, sulking for some reason on the bed.

"Bad time?"

"Not at all, what do you need, Blake?"

"Well, I need a referee to gauge aura levels while Yang and I spar. We are going to do it tournament style."

"Practicing to qualify for the tournament?"

"Not really, I just want to experiment with a new tactic I've been working on."

"I see, I will start heading there now and wait for you two to arrive." Pyrrha begins to close the door, then pauses just before it is fully shut. "Oh, and tell Yang I will gladly pay for the dress." Pyrrha's comment earns a loud groan of disapproval from Jaune who is still sulking in bed.

"Huh?"

"Yang will know." She responds with a giggle, closing the door, and leaving me in bewilderment.

I walk back into the room to see Yang having changed out of her uniform and into her casual fighting clothes, and her hair in a much better situation than earlier.

_How did she do that so quickly?_

"Gonna change, Blake? I left your clothes on the sink." She says to me while going into our mini-fridge and pulling out one of her favorite energy drinks. It's a tall black can with three rigid, green lines running parallel down the can to form a makeshift M. On the back in a special font can be seen the logo of the company 'Unleash the Beast', a phrase that suited Yang properly given how she fights.

"I suppose so. Pyrrha will be our referee. We will be doing this tournament style, and um . . ." I raise an eyebrow, wondering what Pyrrha's message meant since it also got a bad response from Jaune who was very happy not even ten minutes ago when I spotted him saying his farewell to Yang.

"Pyrrha said she'll gladly pay for the dress." My words makes Yang set the can down and look away prior to taking a massive spit take, the liquid making a light haze in the air before it disappears from its mist-like form and leaves Yang laughing her ass off.

"This is going to be great!" Yang shouts, unable to stop herself from laughing.

"What will be?" I ask, now interested since it got such a response out of her.

"I'll explain on the way, go get changed!" Yang cries out, unable to control her volume and eventually collapsing to the floor and hugging her pained abdomen while I enter the bathroom to change into my black and white attire. I quickly strip off of my school uniform, folding it neatly and leaving it on top of the toilet seat with Yang's. When I leave the bathroom there is a lack of blonde hair in the room.

_Guess she went to get Ember Celica and warm up. I suppose I'll get Gambol Shroud, but I don't think I'll need it._

I purr, thinking of the look on Yang's face after I beat her without so much as breaking a sweat. I leave the room, knocking on Pyrrha's door with no response. I conclude that both her and Jaune went to the sparring area as well, and are already in contact with Yang. It takes me about three minutes to get down to the locker-room and open my locker.

_I need to remember to change the password_

I reach to the back and grab my Gambol Shroud. The katana is sitting nice and snug into the hybrid cleaver-sheath that makes up my entire weapon. For the first time in a long while I set Gambol Shroud on my back with the sole intention of only using my katana-gun hybrid. I reach below where I had Gambol Shroud resting in my locker, and take a long black ribbon out, the same ribbon I use for my bow, but a lot longer. I tie the ribbon to the base of the katana (Which also doubles as the trigger when it is in gun mode) and wrap the rest of the ribbon around my arm, securing it at the end by tying a little bow knot just below my deltoid. I close my locker and smile to myself, exiting the room and making my way into the sparring arena.

"And here comes my arrogant partner." Yang shouts with a bit of humor and sarcasm in her voice.

"That's my line." I smile, walking up to Pyrrha and handing her my scroll that is already up and display the aura levels of both Yang and I.

"Okay, so this will be a tournament style match. The person whose aura level enters the red will be marked as the loser, regardless of still being able to fight." Pyrrha says loud and clear in a very professional manner. She quickly backs away and vaults over the wall to join Jaune as an onlooker, leaving Yang and I ample room. There's a smirk on Yang's face as she cocks back both of her arms to shift Ember Celica into its full gauntlet form.

"So, Yang. How about we make this interesting?"

"Whatcha have in mind?"

"A gamble. Loser does what the winner wants for a week. No restrictions"

"Anything?"

"Anything." I smirk. I can feel the warmth of Yang's aura. She is ready to give it her all. Too bad she doesn't know I'm just like her: I'll give the most tempting bet only when I know there is no way I can lose.

The look on Yang's face is priceless when I enter a boxing stance, but with a few variations. My fists are loosely closed, resembling cat paws almost. My palms are facing towards Yang with my elbows settled perfectly beneath my hands, making a perfect right angle when looking at my arms from the side. I give a small twist to my hips, letting the left side of my body take the lead with my left leg in front of my right in an orthodox stance. However, my right foot is planted into the ground, and my left foot only has my toes touching the floor, making me bend my knee to accommodate. I never thought I would use this again, but with what Ruby told me, this is the perfect stance to counter Yang's boxing style and mindset:

_**The art of Muay Thai!**_

* * *

I'm an evil SOB. I do a cliffhanger on one chapter, horror opening, romance, and now a suspenseful ending!

Holy crap! Blake is about to get it on with Yang!

..Unfortunately it is not in the sense we all wish it were.

Guys, I seriously need you to message me, because I refuse to start the next chapter without some input:

Whose POV should the next chapter be in? Blake's or Yang's

Please know that whichever POV I do will not affect the outcome of the match. And I will not say who will win :P


	13. Kryptonite (Part II)

_**POV:**_ _**YANG**_ _**XIAO**_ _**LONG**_'

_**Chapter 13 – Kryptonite (Part II)**_

"Blake, your leg is too far forward, your hands are too far apart, and your hips are twisted too far. If you're going to bluff me with Muay Thai, at least have the form proper."

I smile over to Blake. I was nervous when I first saw her take the stance, but after a closer look I can easily tell she has little to no experience with Muay Thai.

"Then how about we start the match and you'll find out just how much Muay Thai I know, Miss Xiao Long." She's taunting me, but I know her game plan. She wants to bring me off my game and make me slip up. I won't let it happen, though. I give a smirk to the Faunus in disguise and look over to the fiery redhead in the stands, giving a nod. As I look back to Blake, she looks over to Pyrrha as well and gives the same nod. Pyrrha waits for both of our eyes to meet before standing up and announcing in a loud and clear tone:

"Begin!"

I dash forward with a powerful first step, bringing me within striking distance at the blink of an eye. I start off with simple combos, testing the ability of my feline partner. Two left jabs, one right hook, a left body shot, and a right straight, all in that order. I am not surprised that I do not get a solid hit on any of them, but I am left in mild confusion as all of them miss and Blake makes no attempt to block and counter-punch, but just dodge each one and retreat away and back into her poor Muay Thai stance afterwards.

"If that's all you have, then I'll be expecting a well-made breakfast in bed tomorrow morning, Yang."

_I'll play your game, Blake. If you think you're winning this for one second, you have another thing coming._

"You have no idea how much I have in the tank, Blake!" I grin, abandoning my boxing stance to slam my knuckles together and heat the room with my aura. The bright orange glow illuminates everything around me, and my hair goes from its golden color to a bright sunny texture. My lilac eyes abandon their soft feature and are replaced with the bright red color that follows with my semblance. I am a powerhouse, and even if my semblance is not at its highest, I know that that I am capable of ending this fight quickly. I'm going up against someone I have a strong desire for. Someone I want to woo and love.

_Blake Belladonna . . . You will feel my love and desire in this match. Never forget that fire is the element where passion meets talent._

I make my second dash towards Blake, this time she advances in a similar fashion. I start off again with my left jab, not surprised when she grabs the outside of my wrist with her right hand.

_Typical, I know what you're going for, Blake!_

I smirk, quickly bringing my right hand across my body to guard from the elbow that will be coming from the same arm. I release a sigh of disappointment when my prediction is correct. I've gone up against a few Muay Thai fighters, and I will not be bested by another. However, I forgot that I am not just going up against a Muay Thai fighter. I am going up against a Muay Thai fighter with Gambol Shroud attached to that same arm!

At the realization I look at Blake's elbow, seeing the ribbon being tugged on. With her motion she yanked her katana from the sheath on her back and now has it swinging in a long arc towards the side of my head.

_You sneaky little-_

I grit my teeth, quickly ducking my head to dodge the oncoming blade. That was the biggest mistake I could make. The moment I duck down I feel Blake's unoccupied left hand grab the back of my neck, and the last sight I see before I get sent flying is her left foot taking off from the ground, but the takeoff is only used to get more momentum in her right knee that hits me square between the eyes.

"Kao Loi!" She screams the moment her strike connects. I'm looking up at the ceiling lights, but I am sure she has a wide smirk on her face.

"Weakness number 1: You're arrogant and refuse to respect the skills of your opponent. Brawling won't get you a win all the time, Yang."

I roll onto my hands and knees, then to a crouch while I rub the spot her knee connected to. I keep my eyes on Blake who is swinging her elbow, making her Katana fly around her body before jerking her elbow straight up, and back down. The blade goes into the air and is then sent straight down to land perfectly in its sheath.

_Damn that fucking hurt!_

"Save the pep talk, Blake! I don't need advice on how I fight."

"Aw, is someone getting Yangry?"

_She's getting under my skin. I told myself I wouldn't let it happen, but she's completely under my skin!_

I stand back up, looking down at my hands to see they are no longer the glowing orange of my semblance. That last hit stunning me enough to break my concentration. I dash at Blake yet again. I am stubborn, but I know I will break through this time. I'll make sure she knows I am not to be underestimated! She sees that glare in my eyes. She knows I'm as determined as ever. Her arms are up again, this time properly tensed to guard whatever I throw at her. I start off by throwing another left hook, unphased at her back step to avoid it. It's just what I wanted her to do. With the wild miss I aim my elbow up properly to her head and flex my knuckle, making Ember Celica fire and send me flying right back towards her. She's surprised by the elbow, but blocks it just in time.

_I'll play your game, Blake._

I follow the blocked elbow up by spinning clockwise, bringing my right elbow towards the side of her head. She needed to use both her hands to block my first attack, and now she only has one choice to dodge the second and she does just that: lean her head back. Her eyes go wide as my elbow brushes by her face, but I'm not done. I extend my arm, bringing my right hand out to extend my reach and hit her with a powerful spinning backfist. The steel plate of Ember Celica hits Blake square in the cheek and sends her corkscrewing through the air until she lands several yards away.

_That should smack the arrogance out of her._

Though, the weird sway and wicked smile she has while she stands up only makes me feel uneasy rather than more confident. There's a small trickle of blood on her cheek, but she wipes it away and begins to giggle.

"That's it, Yang. Adapt. You won't get far unless you adapt!" She screams before running at me again. I pick my arms up, my left hand holding steady, and my right moving in very small circles, ready to shoot out at any time. When Blake gets close enough she throws another elbow, her left elbow to be precise. Meaning no Gambol Shroud combination. I bring my right arm up, curling my arm and flexing my bicep to catch the sharp strike with it. A smirk crosses my lips. I look right between her eyes and throw a punch right where I am staring. Before my punch connects I feel a sharp pain on the side of the knee I used to step forward with. That sharp pain reminding me just why I hate Muay Thai so much among other things. The punches they throw can turn into elbows, their knees turn into kicks, and of all the worst: They focus on low kicks. Something a boxer never has to worry about.

The moment Blake's kick connects I drop down to the floor and roll away from her, gripping my leg in clear anguish.

_She kicks so damn hard!_

"Weakness 2: You lack the ability to watch your opponent's arms AND legs at the same time."

She's already advancing on me once again. I can't believe that I'm actually losing to her. I stand up, unable to put my normal weight on my left leg now. With the hits I've been taking I know that my semblance must be significantly stronger now. I slam my knuckles together for the second time in this match. The same illumination filling the room, but with a much stronger effect. I'm completely pissed now, and I won't fall for Blake's kick a second time. She advances towards me with complete confidence and dominance over the situation. Before she can get close enough I throw a straight punch at her, clenching my fist to hit the trigger of Ember Celica and shoot one of the 12-gauge rounds at her. I need to start fighting more defensive. There's something different about Blake. She knows exactly what I am going to do, and what I am weak against. I see the blast take her head on, enveloping the area around her with smoke. I let out a sigh of relief and take a few steps back, ready for when she steps out of the debris, or for a surprise attack that may come from it. Nothing. I stand patiently, seeing the smoke clear, but there is no sight of the Muay Thai faunus anywhere.

"Weakness 3: You forget not everybody has a semblance that's as straight forward as yours and Ruby's."

My eyes widen, hearing the voice from behind me. The hairs on my back stand up, and I look over my shoulder slowly to see the long black hair of Blake swaying as she stands with her back towards me.

6"While I'm at it . . . Weakness 4: Your semblance eats through your aura . . . you can't rely on it in a tournament style fight."

_Why is she telling me these things? Why can't I hit her? How did she get to such a level? We use to be on equal footing!_

"You have one more weakness, Yang. I will exploit it until the end of the match. You're only choice for now is to forfeit."

_I get the feeling there's more to this sparring match than she is letting on._


	14. Kryptonite (Part III)

_**POV:**_ _**BLAKE**_ _**BELLADONNA**_

_**Chapter 14 – Kryptonite (Part III)**_

"Ummm, and why do you want to know tips to fighting Yang?" Ruby looks at me with a questioning look in those adorable, silver eyes of hers.

"Does it matter? It's me we're talking about. And if you don't tell me then you won't be able to have that lunch with Weiss." I look down at the crimson-haired youngling. Given the situation she has no time or leverage to negotiate with me. She needs my food for herself and Weiss, and she is telling this information to her sister's partner and roommate: someone who has no reason to do any wrong by Yang.

"Okay, okay. Fine, but you didn't hear any of these from me!"

* * *

**(Present)**

_I did that to her. I'm sorry, Yang. I truly am_.

Yang's earlier attack with Ember Celica would have had me if I did not use my semblance to make a clone to eat the blast and grant me the debris to be able to sneak behind her. I wasn't expecting her to use her weapons at that time, but I guess I am pushing her to the point of abandoning her normal style of fighting. She's doubting herself, and that's not what my goal is.

"What are you really getting out of this, Blake?" She asks, staring at me with a glare of realization. Her arms are dropped down to her sides. I want to strike now, but my fight etiquette not allowing me to do so. I maintain my stance while I respond to her.

"I want you to get stronger, Yang. You won't be able to be a successful huntress if you can't even keep up with me." It's only a half truth.

"So why tell me my weaknesses during our fight instead of afterwards?"

"Mind games."

Yang looks down, letting out a sigh of clear disappointment. She probably knew that I was doing this to get her angry and off of her game, but her pride is getting the better of her.

"Were you serious about the bet? A full week?" She looks at me with a much firmer look than before. Even when she is losing she still shows all intention of turning this around.

"Yes," is all I am able to say before she is dashing at me again. I try to get a clear look at her face, but when she slows down to throw a punch, her golden mane covers up her face, although I am sure she is able to see just enough to through her strike. I feel the left hook connect to my gut, forcing me to keel over and cough out as the wind is knocked out of me. I have been relying on Ruby's information too much, and now it has caught up to me.

* * *

**(Returning to Flashback)**

"Wait, are you serious?"

"Yeah. Whenever Yang fights she thinks she is in a boxing match and never remembers that some people like to kick, especially kick low." Ruby shrugs her shoulders, looking over to her sleeping sister to make sure she doesn't wake up.

"I mean, she did learn how to fight through boxing, so that's understandable, and what was the last one?"

"She has this really bad habit of hers." Ruby sighs, looking over at her sister that is out cold on my bed. "Yang has always been someone to keep her eye on the prize, and when she fights it is no different."

* * *

**(Present)**

After the punch to my stomach I can feel another hit the other side of my gut, forcing me to grasp at my pained abdomen. The moment I do I am greeted by a firm uppercut that sends me several feet into the air. I gaze at the bright lights of the ceiling, then look down to see Yang aiming Ember Celica at me once more. I wait for the moment she fires to activate my semblance, forming a clone underneath me that I quickly kick off of in order to backflip away and leave my clone to disappear and absorb the mild explosion. I land on my feet, panting heavily. Yang brushes her hair out of her face, giving me a clear view of her red eyes. Those beautiful eyes of hers that I could stare into forever.

_That's right, Yang. Keep your eye on the prize._

I smile, Ruby's final tip echoing in my head as I look at Yang's beautiful orbs. Even during a fight I could use my love of her eyes to my advantage.

"_**Yang always looks where she is going to punch"**_

Yang appears to be somewhat shocked that she landed all three of her attacks. I am still cradling my abdomen with my right hand, but I am in no way unable to keep fighting.

"Why didn't you dodge, Blake?" She asks me. The odd question surprises me, but I guess with all that I've been doing it is a reasonable thing to ask.

"Didn't see the body shot coming." I answer. Yang has no idea how much of the truth that is.

She dashes straight at me again, following my swaying arms at first until she begins to throw her punch. Her eyes are on my chin. I quickly bring both my hands up to block it right in time. I keep my hands low so I don't obscure my vision, seeing her gaze now at my right hip.

_Kidney punch, eh?_

I turn my body to bring my hip out of distance and raise my knee to smack away her punch. She hasn't noticed yet, but with each elbow and knee I've thrown, I've been using my aura with my attacks to strengthen them. After I knee away her punch she leans lower and steps towards me. Once again I can't see her eyes and decide to use my semblance. I leave a shadow clone while I vault over Yang, letting her strike the solid form and cause it to disappear without a trace. Looking down at her while I am flying over her form makes me glad that I dodged. She threw a flaming right straight that would have surely ended the fight.

"FUCK" I hear her scream, and turn around before I can even land. She runs to my landing spot, leaving me no choice but to draw Gambol Shroud and throw my katana off into the distance and pull on my ribbon to change my trajectory. Yang has a re-kindled determination of some kind. She isn't giving me breathing room now. My attempts to pull myself away with Gambol Shroud is destroyed when she shoots the ribbon, separating me from my weapon, and my alternate means of attack.

"I'm not losing Blake!" Yang says while she dashes to me just before I can land, grasping my arm and turning herself around. She leaves me surprised when she flips me over her shoulder and quickly climbs onto me and places her knees over my arms to pin me down. She raises her hand over her head, her hand starting to glow with a blinding light.

"Forfeit, Blake." She says bluntly. My silence earning me a firm punch to the stomach. I can easily see it coming and flex my stomach as well as focus my aura, minimizing the damage, but it still hurts like hell. Yang continues her assault on my stomach, raining down that same right hand on the same spot over and over again. Each punch drains my aura, but her semblance is surely draining hers as well. I keep holding my torso tensed and my aura firm, splitting my eyes away towards Pyrrha who is wincing at the barrage of punches. I can see two orange lines on the scroll. Yang and I are both approaching critical aura levels, but I am unsure whose is lower.

_I need to get out of here. I can't take much more!_

I wait for her to wind up another punch, this time kicking my legs on the floor to raise my hips off the ground, giving me just enough room to curl my legs up and kick Yang hard in the stomach, pushing her several yards away while I roll to my knees and cough hard.

"Damnit, Blake! Just give up! You think I like hurting you!?" She looks at me with a mix of rage and sadness.

_Ironic, Yang. I was thinking the same thing earlier_.

"Sorry, Yang. Not gonna let you get me for a week. I already know what you have in mind." I move to my feet, wincing at the feeling of my slightly bruised ribs. Yang stands as well and rubs her stomach from my desperation kick. I am panting heavily, and so is Yang, but she has her head downcast. She raises it after a moment of silence. Her red eyes are piercing my amber gaze with an anger that sends a shiver through my spine.

"I told you already, Blake. I'm not after your body, and if you don't believe me. I'll let my fists do the persuading." Yang reaches for her forearms, unlatching her Ember Celica and lets them drop to the floor and her aura powers down to its minimal.

"If that's how you want to end this, then fine." I reach over my shoulder, grabbing my cleaver-sheath and throwing it to the floor, also unwrapping the cut ribbon from my arm and letting it fall. Yang and I walk up to each other, with a moment of understanding. We extend our hands out and touch fists before adapting our own stances.

_You can't beat me head on, Yang. You know it too, so why?_

I don't get a chance to dwell on my thoughts. The moment she enters her stance she is already throwing a flurry of punches. Each one telegraphed by her lilac eyes. After blocking three of her punches I quickly launch my right hook. The same right hook I used on her early in the match. She catches my fist with ease, and when I follow up with my elbow she catches it with her other hand.

_Deja-vu_

I quickly throw my left leg towards her already injured knee, amazed when she lifts her leg without taking her eyes off of mine. She knew it was coming and countered it properly. Her leg being lifted sends my ankle into her shin, causing a sharp pain to erupt within my leg. I let out a shriek of acute pain, collapsing to the ground. My left leg is in too much pain to use at this point since I stopped using my aura to minimize the damage. I reach down and cradle my ankle in my arms, unaware of the tall blonde looming over me and slamming her fist into the ground just next to my head.

"Just so you know. That was the finishing blow." Yang whispers to me, crouching over me and planting a brief kiss on my forehead. "Sorry, Kitty Cat."

I sigh softly. There are some things that I cannot beat. Yang's insane endurance and ability to take abuse are just two of them. I suppose relying on Ruby's tips to get me a victory against Yang is best rewarded with a loss. I look up at Yang who stands over me and walks towards the wall where Pyrrha is. Pyrrha gives a nod before hopping over the wall and walking towards me behind Yang.

"Well, Blake." Pyrrha begins, "It seems neither one of you entered the critical zone, but you are incapable of continuing because of your ankle. Is it broken?"

"Possible. I think it's sprained." I whisper, sitting myself up and avoiding Yang's gaze.

"Well, this is simply a formality, but I need to announce the winner of the match. That being Blake Belladonna."

My eyes widen as I look up at Pyrrha. "W-wait, what?"

"Oh, I sort of forfeited." Yang says with her enthusiastic voice.

"Why?" I look up at the blonde brawler in complete bewilderment.

"I told you, Blake. I am not after what you think I am. Technically, I won. But I'm not going to let you think I won 'cause of our bet. Just don't go asking for too much, alright?" Yang crouches down next to me. Her smile from earlier gone and replaced with a look of concern as she gazes at my ankle that is beginning to swell.

"Well, would asking you to carry me back to the dorm room be a bit too much?"

"Not at all." I blush as Yang slides one arm underneath my back and the other underneath my legs, picking me up in a bridal stance to begin walking with me in her arms.

"I hope you feel better, Blake! It was a wonderful match between the two of you!" I hear Pyrrha shout as we walk away. The redhead makes her way back to Jaune who is still sitting in the stands.

"So, um. What was the deal with the dress? You never told me."

"Oh!" Yang snickers a moment before being able to speak clearly. "Jaune made a bet with me and lost, so during the second half of the dance he has to wear a dress."

"That's . . . an odd bet to take. Did you think it up?"

"Actually, he thought of it himself. I just held him to it."

"Well, I rather not ask what the bet was. At least not now. It's the least of my concern. Just please, get me back to the room so I can lay down and work on my ankle."

"We're going, we're going. Oh, I asked Pyrrha to bring Ember Celica and Gambol Shroud to the room later. I wanted to get you out of there right away, so I asked her to take care of our weapons."

I look up at Yang. A girl who hates to lose, no matter what it is. She constantly makes flirting attempts with me, and for the longest time I believed that all she wants is to explore me in the dirtiest of ways and move on afterwards, but after today I have a different outlook on her.

After a five minute walk we arrive at the door. Yang carefully propping me up with one arm and reaching into her back pocket to pull out my scroll and use it to open the door.

_She must have gotten it back from Pyrrha when she walked over._

As we enter the room we are greeted by the sight of Ruby and Weiss studying together on Weiss' bed. They look so cute together.

"Hello~~~~~~~" Yang sings as we enter, making sure to place me down on my bed before anything.

"Just when I thought the afternoon would be nice and quiet. Speaking of which, it is already 2:30. Where have you two been for such a long time?" Weiss just can't seem to relax with Yang around. Can't blame her either.

"Sparring. Blake hurt her ankle so we had to stop. Don't want our teammate getting a serious injury now do we?" And there goes Yang with her half-truths.

"Wait, you two were sparring?" Ruby looks over at me with a suspicious look.

"Yup, she was kicking my ass for a while too. Thought I was gonna lose." At Yang's words, Ruby's eyes sharpen on me, letting me know I will have some explaining to do later.

"Anyway, Blake hasn't eaten a thing for lunch, let me see if she has any tuna left."

"Y-yang, you don't have to. I'm fine." My lie becomes obvious when my stomach lets out a howl for food, making me blush and the other three laugh.

"Nice try." Yang says to me while she goes through my fridge and begins making a tuna sandwich using a plate that was on top of the little cold storage unit.

"T-thanks, Yang." I whisper. I may have won the match through Yang's forfeit, but I will be much nicer to her for the next week. It's the least I can do, but now it also looks like I'll be doing my own food and dress shopping on Friday. After all, the dance is in 6 days.


	15. First Trip to Vale

_**POV: WEISS SCHNEE**_

_**Chapter 15 – First Trip to Vale**_

"Weiss! This is embarrassing. I-I don't want to do this anymore!" I hear Ruby pout to me, that crimson blush of hers only making her look more adorable than before. I step up behind her and smile, resting my hands on her hips and looking at her wonderful reflection in the tall mirror in front of us.

"But you look absolutely stunning. Just for a little longer?" I ask, planting a gentle kiss on her neck that draws a shiver through her entire form.

"But . . . I feel so exposed. Can I put my clothes back on?"

"Not yet, Ruby. I have a couple more ideas for you."

"But Weiss!"

"Just try on those other two dresses and we will leave."

I smile at my darling Ruby. It's been three days since we paired up, meaning it is also four days until the dance, and two days since Blake has been unable to walk without the assistance of either Yang or a crutch.

_That barbarian can't even hold back on her own partner._

It's a lovely Thursday afternoon. With the dance pending there was an early dismissal from Grim Studies with Professor Port so he may help with the preparations that are being run by Team CFVY, Yang and myself. I should be helping with the final preparations but Blake wanted me out of the dorm for a few hours, even offering me a secret about Ruby should I pull through on staying away from the dorm until about 6PM. To pull this off I had to ask Yang to cover for me while I bring Ruby out to shop for a dress her and I can both agree on for her to wear. She's currently in a very stylish red dress with one strap going over her shoulder, leaving the other side exposed. The dress hugs her curves so firmly, only loosening its grip after it passes her waist and becomes a lovely, flowing skirt that extends down to her ankles. The dress itself is zipped up with a zipper that begins from Ruby's lower back and travels halfway up her spine. It's truly a fashionable dress, but Ruby has made it clear she hates it. Instead we settle for something that has a striking resemblance to her casual outfit. It's a dress that has no sleeves, but covers both of her shoulders (as to her preference). The dress has a dark, yet see-through texture that goes from the middle off her back all the way up to her shoulders. In the front the texture extends down to between her barely exposed cleavage, and ends just above her breasts. After that there is a solid red fabric for the rest of the dress, matching her hair color quite nicely. It covers both of her breasts completely, leaving nothing for the eyes to predict. There is a slit in the fabric down her cleavage that is sewn together with black corset lacing, but even then the outfit shows nothing of her body. The corset lace is being complemented with a large black belt that circles around the hips and is tied in a similar fashion to a karate belt – that comparison coming from Ruby herself. Continuing down the outfit is now the skirt. It's actually identical to her combat skirt, but with the colors reversed. The base color being red like the rest of her outfit, but the lining at the bottom being black. It's a semi-casual outfit at best, but I should be happy I am able to get Ruby into something aside from her uniform and her massive storage of casual wear and several band shirts of her and her sister's favorite group: The Achieve Men.

"Weiss, we both know that I'm not going to like the other two! Why do I need to try them on?"

_Because I love dressing you up, Ruby. Though I suppose I've tortured you enough today._

"Fine, Ruby." I groan with faked annoyance. "We'll pay for these, then go get something to eat. Change out of that and go grab the dress you wanted. I'm going to look around a bit more."

At the instant I let Ruby be dismissed from my wicked game of dress-up, she darts into the changing room to go back into her standard outfit. I sent Ruby into the store before me, telling her to get a head start while I was busy looking at a beautiful set of jewelry through one of the displays of another store. We are in the shopping section of Vale, and this is one of the most prestigious clothing stores around, so naturally this is where I came. The store owner is a tall, Hare faunus with brown ears similar to Velvet's, but instead they hang low and are tipped with black fur. She has hair the same length as Ruby's, but brown with black tips to go with her ears. Upon my entry I was given instant attention when I was recognized as the Schnee Dust Company Heiress. I had to make it clear that I did not wish any special attention during my visit, and they have been very good with that.

Ruby on the other hand told me she was given no welcome, or a second glance upon her entry, which upset me clearly. I kept the thought at the back of my mind to let the store owner have a piece on checkout. As a matter of fact, now that Ruby is about to exit the changing room I can do just that.

"Okay, Weiss. Can we go now?" I hear Ruby groan, holding the dress she wants in her arm.

"Of course. Go to checkout, I'll be right there." I watch as Ruby walks away, waiting a few seconds before casually following, making it seem her and I are not traveling together. As she reaches the counter and places the dress she wants on top for checkout, the hare faunus gives her an odd look.

"Um, do you have any idea how much that dress costs, Miss . . .?"

"Rose. Ruby Rose, and how do you know I won't be able to pay for this? That's sorta mean and rude."

"Well, your attire certainly doesn't make you off to be anything above Middle-Class IF even that."

I've heard enough of this and quickly make my way to the counter, tapping Ruby on the shoulder and giving her a reassuring smile and a wink to play along with my little ploy.

"Found the dress you wanted, Ruby?" I ask, earning me an odd look from my girlfriend until she catches on to what I am doing.

"Oh! Yuuuup! Got it right here, was waiting for her to ring it up, but she started saying things like 'oh you can't afford it' and blah blah blah." Ruby says while rolling her eyes. She can be quite the little actress, despite not being able to hide her emotions when she is depressed or otherwise in a mood that she would want to suppress her feelings.

"Umm, i-is she with you, M-Miss Schnee?" The hare faunus stutters.

"Yes she is, actually." I smile, then turn to Ruby. "I trust they've been treating you just as nicely as they have me, Ruby."

"Actually, they've been-"

"Ahem." The hare faunus cuts in quickly. "It is an honor to have a friend of the Schnee Dust Company heiress enter my establishment. As a show of such I would like you to have this dress you picked out free of charge." The clerk/owner giving Ruby a pleading look, most likely in hopes she will send kudos of the store to me, despite me already knowing the difference in treatment.

"Ooooo, really? That's great! Oh, and they've treated me wonderfully here, Weiss!"

I smile softly, nodding my head. The lady thanks us for our visit, packs up Ruby's new dress and we leave the store, holding back our laughs until we make it outside.

"Oh my god, she looked so terrified when she found out you knew me!" Ruby giggles, following me as I begin to walk with a smile plastered on my face.

"I haven't had a good laugh like that in a while. It's amazing how scared people are simply because of my name."

"It's 'cause they don't know the Weiss that I know." Ruby whispers in my ear and skips ahead to look through some of the other store windows. Her comment leaves a slight shade of red to coat my cheeks.

We are on a course back to Beacon, but I did promise Ruby something to eat. Coincidentally there is a café two blocks from the airship departure site that makes amazing hot chocolate, and very good chocolate chip cookies from what I have heard. I hate to feed Ruby's junk food habit, but I guess there are some things that can be overlooked every once in a while.

"Ruby! Café to your right is where we're going." I cry out before Ruby can cross the street and pass our destination, making her pause in place and twirl around to backtrack to the door. She stands nearby, holding it open and gesturing me inside.

"After you, Princess." She winks at me as I walk by. She's such a charmer in her own right, even when she is being her childish self.

"Okay, go grab a seat while I wait in line. Want a hot chocolate?"

"Hm, actually I've never tried coffee before!"

"Nice try, I don't trust you with that much caffeine. A hot chocolate it is." Ruby lets out a mighty pout, puffing her cheeks at my instant resolve and retreats to find a table for the two of us while I wait on line with about four people ahead of me. When it is finally my turn to order I am surprised at the greeting I receive, and more importantly who is the one greeting me.

"Sal-u-tations, Weiss!" I gasp, seeing the wide-eyed Penny behind the counter.

"Hello, Penny. You work here?" I quirk a brow, a bit surprised that someone as . . . socially awkward as Penny is working in a place that involves low to moderate amounts of conversation.

"That I do! This place is simply sen-sational! May I take your order?"

"Yes, two medium hot chocolates, and about…..a dozen chocolate chip cookies."

_This should keep Ruby busy for a while. It's only 4:30. I need to stall just a bit more._

"I did not know you enjoyed cookies, Weiss. You seem to be a healthier eater with your slim figure.

"I don't. I'm with Ruby." I smile, Penny knew how to throw in a compliment out of the blue.

"Oh? Ruby is here? I will try to step out and see her before the two of you exit." I give Penny a nod of the head, and she quickly presses several buttons on the machine in such a quick motion that the ringing sound of the prices adding up begin overlapping.

"That will be 16 lien." Penny say after the ringing stops. I reach into my purse and pull out my credit card, giving it a quick swipe followed by my new pin number: 1652, Ruby's age and height. No, it's not weird and I am not obsessed with Ruby Rose!

I smile as the payment registers and step to the pickup counter, on top of the 12 cookies is a large black one that I assume to be some sort of triple chocolate chip creation, which must have been added courtesy of Penny. I pick up the tray with the 13 cookies and two hot chocolates and begin walking to find Ruby sitting at the corner of the room near the window. She's gazing outside looking at someone who just walked by with three weapons. As I approach I hear her talking to herself about it . . . she is such a weapon nut.

"That armor is so cool! It looks just like Grim bones! And . . . Oh my god. He has a claymore with a shotgun function! That's so cool! Oooo, and he has twin katanas! Wait, no it's a separable twinblade. No . . . two katanas. Oh, of course! It's both!"

"Ahem . . ." I clear my throat and place the tray on the table, Ruby turning her head and gasping at the tray of cookies I bought for her.

"Weiss! You do love me!"

"Did you forget who asked you out three days ago, Ruby?" I say in a slight whisper as I sit down with her. Before coming down to town I made it clear with Ruby to avoid any displays of affection. Not that I am embarrassed by her affection at all, but me being the heiress to a worldwide company, I will not be able to cope if all of Vale knows my relationship to Ruby. Mainly because I don't wish my girlfriend to be exposed to the harsh flesh-eating monsters that are the media.

"Just please take your time with those, alright? I will not be buying you more." I proceed to sip from my hot chocolate, the warm sensation as it flows down my throat makes me smile. I take a moment to gaze out the window to see the person with the three weapons to observe for myself, but have no luck in spotting him. When I turn back I see there are only 2 cookies left in the tray, and Ruby is scratching the back of her head with a nervous giggle.

_Damnit, Ruby. I can't stall for time if you go through them that fast!_

"Didn't I just say not to eat them too quickly?"

"Yes . . . but they're so good! Especially the triple chocolate one!"

_Hmmm… that's right. Penny is here. I may just be able to stall._

"Alright, Ruby. Go get yourself another dozen…BUT…I will not be buying you anymore cookies for the rest of the week." Which is only four days anyway, but all Ruby hears is me not buying her cookies for a certain amount of time, and that is a nightmare for her. I reach into my wallet and pull out my credit card. The moment she takes it she is about to dash away before I grab her by the cape.

"Would you like the PIN number?"

"Oh…umm, that would help wouldn't it? Hehehe."

"Dolt . . . it's 1652"

I watch on as Ruby makes the line, twisting herself left and right as she waits impatiently for it to shorten. She is just like a child in a candy store. When she makes it to the front I can hear a pair of gasps and a quick exchange of hellos.

_Penny, you just bought me all the time I need._


	16. When The Mice Are Away

_**POV: YANG XIAO LONG**_

_**Chapter 16 – When the Mice a Are Away**_

Ugh, I fucking hate this bullshit. Last time I ever go to one of those plannings without Weiss around. Why the hell did she need to go to the town with Ruby anyway? She thinks just 'cause she's so rich that she can disappear with my sister to go clothes shopping. Couldn't she just hire someone and tell them to drop off the most expensive dress in town or something like that? UGH! Damn Coco and Fox, both of them need to go against every little suggestion I make. Then Velvet and that other guy Yatsa-whatever just sit there all quiet and don't even help out!

Needless to say the planning did not go too well without Weiss there. She has a knack for commanding a group of people and being extremely organized. One of the few times I will ever give the Ice Queen a compliment. It's been hell for me today and it's not even noon. On top of worrying about the preparations for the party on Sunday, I also make sure I am never away from Blake too long. Even though she's already walking normally again I worry and have done my best to make sure she hasn't had to move too much. After all, it was my kick-check that hurt her ankle in the first place.

It's been a long and tiring day, and it is barely past noon for Remnant's sake. The walk back to the dorm room is feeling much longer than it already is. On my walk back I try my best to relax and observe everything around me to hopefully shorten the trip. The crimson carpeting and the smokey-colored textures of the wall is complemented by having a small portion on the bottom painted a grey color. I never really thought red and grey look okay together, but Beacon has made it work somehow. I wonder if grey works with Yellow.

Wait, why am I thinking of the color grey? Y'know what? Doesn't matter I'm here.

I reach into my pocket and pull out my scroll, opening the door and going inside to see Blake on my bed and in her pajamas – A beautiful black yukata with white linings. The outfit stops halfway down her thighs, but leaving enough for me to imagine what could be underneath. I give my head a quick shake, breaking my daydream before Blake catches me staring and finds another comment to make about 'what I am always after'.

"Enjoyed the sight, Yang?" She says while lowering her book and gazing at me with her firm amber eyes.

"Wait, how did you-?"

"I didn't . . . you just admitted it."

Ugh! I need to stop falling for that!

"You know when Ruby and Weiss will be back?" I ask while walking over to our bunk beds and sitting in Blake's.

"That's new. You're usually up here resting on my lap or bombarding me about how my ankle feels . . . I thought you cared." Blake says with a mock sadness in her tone. "But seriously, what's up? And I think they'll be back around six."

"Ugh, without Weiss helping with the preparations it was really hectic. I'm just a bit stressed and annoyed." I kick off my shoes and lay down on Blake's bed, closing my eyes and taking long, deep breaths as I try to forget about the tough morning I've been through.

"I see, well at least you're back and don't have anything to do from Port's class." I open my eyes when I hear a small thud, looking over to see Blake has hopped down from my bed.

"Ow . . . that hurt a bit. Need to remember that." She must be talking about her ankle.

"Everything okay?"

"Yup, just need to remember not to land too hard until my ankle's completely better. Oh, could you get me a cup of milk?" She says to me while sitting at the foot of the bed, waiting for me to get up.

"Ugh, do I have to?"

"Not my fault you forfeited our match."

"I am nice one time!" I pout, and stand up from the bed, going over to Blake's mini-fridge and opening it up. I grab one of the cups she keeps on the door, and open the gallon of milk sitting right in the middle of the fridge, pouring the cup up close to the top and setting it down on top of the little refrigerator while I close the gallon of the Udder Satisfaction brand milk. When I finish and close the fridge, I look over my shoulder to see Blake sitting in the same spot, waiting patiently for her milk. I grab the cup I just filled and walk over to her, holding it out until she takes a firm grip of it and pulls it from my grasp.

"Thanks, Yang." She whispers to me while taking a small sip of the white, calcium-rich liquid.

"Not a problem." I say in return, going to the opposite side of her bed, moving her pillow away so I can sit with my feet on the soft mattress and sit with my back against the wall.

After Blake is done with about half of the cup she stands up and makes quick work of filling the cup back up to the top.

"I could've done that for you."

"I was closer, and honestly you take too long." She says in her matter-of-fact attitude. While she makes her way back to the bed she takes a moment to push my legs apart so she can sit between them, facing the same direction as me and lean back to use as a back rest. As much as I want to hold her tight and caress her hips, thighs, and stomach, I need to keep my self-control. I feel like she's trying to tease me with how she is sitting against me. I can feel her back pushing against my breasts, and the light purring coming from her figure is both adorable, and pleasure-inducing thanks to the vibrations. It doesn't help the matter at all when she reaches up with her free hand to pry away her ribbon and toss it away, exposing those beautiful ears I love so much.

"Ummm, are you okay, Blake? You never take your bow off near me." I whisper, trying not to look at the furry accessory in fear that I'll try to touch them as I usually want to do.

"Well, I want to relax a little, and there's no better way than to have a cold glass of milk, a warm superheater, and to let my ears be free once in a while. Nothing wrong with that, is there?" She looks over her shoulder, glaring at me out the corner of her eye to which I shake my head.

"Good." She takes another sip from her cup, licking her lips with quick flicks of her tongue to get the lingering milk off.

"Is your ankle okay?" I ask, starting to adapt a little to having Blake this close to me, but still unable to look too high to avoid looking at her cat ears.

"Aside from that drop down from your bunk it has been very easy to walk on with minimal pain." She takes another sip.

"That's good. Oh, do you know what you're wearing on Sunday? I found this yellow strapless that goes down to my mid-thigh, and has black laces in the back. It will look great!"

"Actually, I already have mine. It's nothing fancy. Some fishnet that goes over my shoulders and part of my arm like a short-sleeve shirt, and the dress itself is a light-purple to match my eye-shadow. Has a black belt to go around the waist, and on the right leg it has a little cut at the thigh level."

"Oooo, sounds sexy."

"It looks nice and it's pretty easy to move around in. So I like it."

"If that's the only reason why not go in your yukata?."

"Because I can't wear a bra in this."

Blake's response makes me turn away and cough in surprise. The faunus sitting against me laughing her head off to my reaction.

"It's fine, Yang. I'm wearing a bra. I promise."

"N-not funny, Blake." I say in both an angry and disappointed tone.

"Aw, I'm sorry. Want some milk as a peace offering?" She says in a fake apologetic tone.

"Actually, I would." The moment I say that she takes a large drink from the cup and then hands it to me.

It's empty.

"Really, Blake? If you didn't want to share you could've just said so." I groan, gently pushing her forward to slip out from between her and the wall so I can get my own cup of milk. As I push her forward, she turns around, giving me a dissatisfied look, but doesn't say a word.

"What? I seriously wanted some milk and you couldn't even- Mmph!"

My eyes go wide as I am cut off by a sudden kiss from Blake. The moment our lips connect she parts her lips and I can taste a small trickle of milk as she feeds it to me through the brief kiss. After roughly five seconds she pulls away, and rubs a small amount that trickled down the corner of my mouth using her thumb. I remain still, completely in shock before I gather enough sense to swallow the milk and look away to hide half of my red face.

Where did that come from? First she tells me she wants nothing to do with dating me, now she's saliva swapping milk with me. What the hell, Blake!"

"Hm . . . I expected you to use some tongue the moment our lips touched. I'm disappointed." Her voice unchanged.

"Well, I uh . . . I thought that . . . that you were . . . ummm . . . milk is tastier than I thought." I can't even begin to explain how much my head is spinning. I shake my head a few times, trying to snap myself back into reality with little results. I can feel my face stuck with a stupefied look and a goofy smile. Blake and I just kissed, and I wasn't the one to start it! I look forward at Blake, seeing her lips moving but when I try to listen and respond, I just give off a goofy giggle and stare off into space.

"Yes, Yang. Milk is good." Blake begins laughing again at my constant stammering. I feel just like Ruby.

"Blake . . . Why did . . . I mean why'd you . . ."

"Yang. Stop talking. I'll give you two choices. You can continue to ramble on and find answers until Ruby and Weiss get home from a shopping trip I personally requested Weiss to extend until 6PM, or you can kiss me this time, but that is all. My clothes stay on, and if you touch anywhere I disapprove of, then the moment is over." I listen carefully to her words, the moment she is done speaking she scoots away from me and sits at the far edge of the bed, waiting for my decision. It takes me another half a minute before I am able to think semi-clearly, but the moment I am able to think and command my body, I push off of the wall and sit next to Blake. The faunus girl looking at me from the corner of her eye and smiles. A smile that I return before reaching out to cup Blake's soft, pale cheek, turning her head to face me.

"At least don't regret this later." I whisper to her, trailing my fingers from her cheek to her long, black hair, and stopping at the back of her neck, tugging her towards me as gently as I can. Blake takes my gesture one step further and steps off of the bed without pulling her head from my grip, and seats herself on my lap, looking down at me with her gorgeous, amber eyes.

"If I would end up regretting this, I would not have started it." I look up at her, hearing a light purring erupting from deep within her chest. I tug her down to me by the back of the head once more, placing my other arm around her waist to keep her close. I can feel her soft, cold fingers resting on my shoulders while our faces get closer with every passing second. The shift in weight makes me lean back as she pushes down on my shoulders more and more, eventually leading me to fall backwards on the bed with Blake staring down at me with a soft glare, causing me to smile once more.

"If you won't take the lead, Yang . . . I will." She whispers, brushing her lips over mine, but never really pressing them together. I attempt to lean up and get our lips to meet firmly, but she leans away on each of my attempts, leaving me looking at her with dissatisfaction and want. My arm clenching her waist tighter than before, which draws a smile to her lips.

She's waiting for me . . . I'm always in control . . . now should be no different. Blake or no Blake, I am always in control.

I let out a deep exhale, my soft smile turning into a confident grin. I hold onto Blake's waist tightly and roll over to lay her down on the bed while I take her previous position of being on top. She wraps her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist, allowing me to crawl on the bed and carefully lay her down on her pillow before she releases me from her grasps and brushes a hand over my cheek. I take a moment to look into her beautiful eyes, watching as my golden hair falls over my shoulders and surrounds Blake's beautiful face. She gives me a small nod and closes her eyes, puckering up before I finally lean down to connect my lips to hers. On contact she moves her hand from my cheek to my hair, moving it out of the way while our liplock begins.

My lips part, and hers mimic mine in an expectant manner. This isn't her first kiss, but it's her first kiss with me, and that's all I care about. My tongue slides into her lips, unable to get very far without being greeted by the touch of her own wet muscle that is vibrating from her constant purrs. Blake's hand eventually abandons trying to keep my mane in check, and settles for brushing it over whichever shoulder that keeps my hair furthest from our lips. The now unoccupied hand goes to the back of my neck and pulling me tighter into our first kiss.

Blake's tongue is relentless, yet gentle while it dances with mine. Each move I make perfectly matched, but not to fight me, no. Each movement of hers follows and obeys my every motion as if it were an absolute command. I move my hand from the back of her head, slowly up along her scalp, trailing my fingers until they get closer and closer to their destination. Blake lets out a gentle whimper, but doesn't dare stop me or break our intimate embrace. As I reach the base of her ear I drag my index finger and thumb carefully up the edge of the furry accessory. Her ear flutters and wiggles from my touch, but I continue to work my way up until I reach the very tip and gently pinch it. Blake's reaction is to arch her back and let out a moan into my lips that was fought to be restrained.

So THIS is why Kitty Cat doesn't like it when I touch them.

I pull my lips from hers, bringing them no more than a centimeter apart, but our tongues continue their dance of utmost passion. I give a soft stroke of my thumb to Blake's ear, followed by a soft tug that makes her body clench, and makes her attempt to lean up to lock our lips again to muffle her sounds, but I lean away the moment she tries. Her ears and lips are all I need to bring my Kitten into a new world, and that is my goal for today. She keeps trying to bring our lips together, but I refuse to allow it to happen. I'm enjoying her more audible purrs and other sounds of satisfaction far too much. Eventually she pulls her tongue from mine and begins to run the tip of her wet muscle along my lips. Working herself to follow the entire contour of my lips before kissing my upper lip and letting herself collapse into the pillow, bringing her hand from the back of my head to cover her lips and muffle herself since she knows I refuse to let go of her ear.

I lower my body on top of hers, putting my weight on my knees and elbows to avoid crushing her below me. I bring my lips to her cheek, dragging them along her soft flesh down to her jawline, and then to her neck. I keep dragging my lips along her soft skin, pausing once I feel I am at the perfect spot.

"Blake. You'll need to wear a scarf for a few days. I'm sorry."

My words becomes clear when I press my lips firmly to the chosen area and begin to nip and suck on her neck. My efforts are being rewarded with more moans and gasps from my precious Kitty Cat. My fingers are a little more firm with Blake's ears, allowing me to test to see just how much pressure I can place before the sensation switches from pleasure to pain. Although, from the sounds that I hear there is nothing but pleasure resulting from my assault.

I pull my lips from her neck with a mild, audible pop, admiring the mark I just placed on Blake in the form of a small, red mark that glistens with the thin layer of my saliva over it. I look back to her face, seeing her eyes half open from a state of borderline bliss. I want to see just how much I can make her face clench and twist with my actions. Blake Belladonna will be mine.

I bring my lips up to her other ear, taking a long, silent inhale and blowing softly into it. The ear rapidly fluttering and shaking, even making my partner kick and moan into her palm once more.

"Something as cute as that deserves a replay, don't you think?" I ask her. Obviously it's rhetorical.

I blow into her ear once more, this time tugging on the other at the same time, doing these same two things constantly, alternating the pattern of teasing Blake's faunus attribute.

"Y-Yang . . . P-Please stop."

I hear Blake whisper to me with a voice so soft spoken I have a hard time identifying it as hers. I've been teasing her like this for nearly forty-five minutes. The same slow, and gentle movements that keep her writhing and clenching onto me. I never want her to let go. I'll do this forever if it means she'll cling to me like this always.

"And why should I stop, Kitty? You appear to be enjoying yourself." I whisper in her ear in a slightly husky tone. Before she can answer I move down to her lips and give her several small pecks, all of them being returned without the slightest hesitation

"Y-yang, please . . . I-I can't. . ." she stutters out after I stop planting my kisses.

"Then don't." I counter, already knowing what she is going to say.

I bring my lips up to her ear once more, but this time I gently nip on the very tip of it. I can feel Blake grasp onto my back and dig her nails into my uniform and then her turning her head to muffle her moans by burying her lips into my neck. I continue my work on her ears, holding her firmly against me without any other care in the world. I can hear several brief, choppy moans coming from Blake's lips, even feeling the vibrations of her lips against my neck. I know what's coming next, and it drives me to keep teasing her faunus traits. Her scent is in the air – it has been for a while.

With a final tug of her ear with my teeth, there's a brief silence from Blake. Her body is stiff, and I can feel her lips parted and still pressed to my neck. After a second she cries out against me in euphoria; her arms, legs and body shaking. Her toes are curling and her nails are piercing my uniform and leaving scratches on my flesh, but I have no problem with that at all. I gently push Blake down once her moans are over, being greeted by the sight of saliva-glistened lips, a deep crimson blush, and a look that I've seen before. A look of vulnerability.

I crawl off of Blake, her hands sliding off of my back, but quickly grasping my wrist. I look down at her to see that pleading look for me not to go. She must still think somewhere in the back of her mind that I only want her body. I brush her wrist away, bringing her eyes to the border of tears. I give her a sweet smile and crawl to the edge of her bed to sit with my back against the wall. I reach out and pull her towards me to lay her head along my lap.

I smile when she wraps her arms around my thigh, clinging to my leg before I lightly smash my knuckles together to let my precious Blake sleep.

"I told you, Blake. I'm never leaving you." I lean down, giving her cheek a gentle kiss before she starts to drift off to sleep.

However, there is something that catches my eye. A detail that gives me a feeling of great accomplishment. I look down at her thighs, spotting few glistening areas, though I have a poor vantage point for that. But at the edge of the bed, where Blake's hips once were I can see proof that I gave her an experience to never forget. I look at that spot and smile, admiring the large, dark, wet patch on the sheets, coated with Blake's rated-X nectar. I wish I could have received a similar treatment, but I am elated nonetheless. I am closer to her than I've ever been before.


	17. Romance and Cover Ups

_**POV: RUBY ROSE**_

_**Chapter 17 – Romance and Cover Ups**_

"I can't believe you ordered a baker's dozen of cookies! I said one dozen more, you dolt!"

"I'm sorry! I thought by baker's dozen they meant a dozen cookies straight from the baker . . ."

"Dolt, and you already ate half of them. I can't believe you! This is the absolute last time I ever give you my card when sugar is involved!"  
Weiss is completely furious at me, and I can't expect her not to be. A simple purchase of 10 lien turned into 120, and not to mention the 5 percent tax. I mean, 126 lien is nothing to Weiss, but I think she's angrier at the fact that I ate 85 cookies from our time in the café, all the way back to Beacon.

"I said I'm sorry, Weiss!" I shout while we walk down the hallway to our dorm room. We've been repeating ourselves through the entire ride on the airship from Vale to Beacon, meaning we've been at it for roughly half an hour to forty-five minutes and she still hasn't shown any signs of letting up. Does she really hate my love for cookies that much?

We are almost at the room. I'm carrying three boxes, each with two dozen cookies placed inside, and also carrying the bag with my new dress. Weiss has a bag in her hand, but I don't even know where she got it. It's a small bag that appears to be from one of the local food stores, but she doesn't buy from any of them. When it comes to food Weiss is my polar opposite, only eating salad, chicken on occasion and anything else that has some sort of healthy benefit. She avoids eating junk food, aside from two days ago when she was more than delighted to 'share' my pockies.

"I hope you have a place for those insufferable cookies of yours. I don't want to see a single one of them for a week."

Okay, you know what. I've had enough of this.  
We come up to the room door not too long after her comment. I place the boxes on the ground while she reaches into her back pocket for her scroll. As she takes it out I grab her by the shoulder and push her up against the wall on the other side of the hall, next to Team JNPR's room and lean up to press my lips to hers. She is more than surprised at the sudden attack, even trying to push me off briefly at first, but I don't let it happen. I keep the kiss short, pulling away after a few seconds and look at her with my puppy stare.

"I don't like it when you're mad at me, Weiss. What else can I do to let you know I'm sorry?" I whimper, leaning up to kiss her again and this time she returns it immediately. I can hear the bag that was in her hand fall to the crimson carpet below with the ruffling sound of plastic, and her scroll dropping from her other hand with a little thud. This time when I pull away her eyes remain closed, and a smile crosses her cute little lips. Neither of us noticed that Team JNPR's door was open and now all four of the members are peeking out from the doorway at us. Pyrrha's eyes visible from the top, with Jaune's head below, then Ren's head and finally Nora's.

"Wow . . ." Nora's voice startles Weiss and I, making us look towards the door and jump in surprise and embarrassment from the unexpected peepers. "I never knew Ruby was an 'attacker.' " Nora adds, making me turn a shade of red to rival my clothing.

"I must say . . . her aggressiveness with Weiss does match her aggressiveness during a spar . . ." Pyrrha responds to Nora, resulting in a nod from the three other members of Team JNPR.

"T-that's quite enough!" Weiss shouts, making me look over at her and spot a giant redness in her face, her eyes lowered, clearly unable to meet the sight of our friends. "R-Ruby. L-l-let's go inside, now."

"I mean . . . we saw Ruby pin you to a wall a few days back, forgot, Weiss?" Nora whispers, sporting her trademark grin.

"I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!" Weiss shouts much louder this time, making Nora retreat from the doorway along with Ren and Jaune. Pyrrha being the only one to stay, and that was because she knelt down to pick up Weiss' scroll and the bag that she dropped.

"Oh. What are these?" Pyrrha asks as one of the contents of Weiss' bag falls out. I walk over to Pyrrha to see what she was talking about, Weiss quickly grabbing the scroll from Pyrrha's hand and retreating to the room while I look at it.

"I-I'll be inside!" Weiss says in a shaky voice and quickly disappears into the room while Pyrrha flips a red box in her hand a few times to find a name on it.

"Pockies? I've never heard of these, are they good?" Pyrrha looks up at me and hands me the box. I go wide-eyed, realizing why Weiss had been so mad at me for the cookie mishap. She must have wanted to play again with me sometime tonight, or possibly on the airship since we were the only two going back up to Vale, and figured the cookies killed my appetite.

I smile, now knowing why Weiss was also in a rush to get into the room. I let out a soft giggle, taking the bag Pyrrha had picked up, seeing a second box inside and fight to control my laughter.

"Yes, Pyrrha. They're very good, but it's better to eat with a friend . . . and I guess I sort of ruined that for Weiss, cause I had a lot of cookies earlier." I sigh, standing up and placing the box into the bag with the other, then walking over to my three boxes of cookies and carrying everything into the room.

"Weiss will certainly forgive you, Ruby. She's just unable to relay her sadness at times and chooses anger instead." I nod my head to Pyrrha, she was completely right. As I enter the room I look right to see Blake out cold on Yang's bed while in her school uniform. Blake's bed is completely stripped of the bed sheets, and Yang is nowhere to be found. Then turning my head left I see Weiss sitting on her bed, shifting her gaze between my eyes and our black rug. The crimson line going from cheek to cheek still visible, and her fingers interlaced while resting on her lap. For some reason her posture reminds me of a girl that's been scolded and is now sitting in the principal's office.

"Weiss, you could have just told me you know."  
I walk over and crouch on one knee in front of her, handing her the bag with the two box of pockies and placing my three boxes of cookies down to my side. She turns her head away when I kneel in front of her, but I cup her cheek and turn her head so she will look at me. Her crystal-blue eyes look at me with a soft twinkle in them. In one instant she has managed to bounce from Heiress Weiss, to Bashful Weiss, but I love seeing both sides of her. I remember a play saying something about there being a word for how Weiss acts. I wonder if Weiss knows, but I'll ask later, for now I have a small wrong to correct.

"Dolt . . . if I told you it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?"

"Not what I meant, Weiss." I sigh, taking out one of the boxes of pockies from the bag and begin opening the box.

"W-what are you doing?"

"What do you think?" I say in a blunt tone while I open up the box, then tear open one of the two pouches. "I'm about to play a quick game with my girlfriend." I giggle, taking out one of the thin, chocolate coated sticks and placing it in my lips. I put the box down, and look up at Weiss, patiently waiting for her to bite the other end.

"You're such a pest." Weiss says while smiling down at me. She reaches out and gently tugs the wafer from my lips. "You do know we are still tied, right?"

"Then let this one decide it." I grin, an eager smirk crossing Weiss' lips.

"Fine, this is our tiebreaker" She answers, turning the wafer around to place the side I already nommed on into her lips. I quickly bite the other end, and we both start to nip our way to the center. Weiss rests her hands on my shoulders while I rest mine on her lap, inching closer to her as the stick becomes shorter with every passing second. When the stick becomes too short for me to remain kneeling I quickly move to both feet and start to lean over Weiss, her response being to pull me onto her lap, and at the same time our lips connecting. Weiss must have had this planned, because at the same time she rolls me over onto the bed and climbs onto me with what must have been a premeditated motion.

She's now on top of me with her left knee on the bed, her right foot on the floor, and my legs wrapped around her waist, refusing to let her get away from me. Her hands are on either side of my head, and I can feel her ponytail fall over her shoulder to tickle my cheek with the tip of her French braid. Weiss must have wanted to kiss me really badly while we were in Vale; her movements are so commanding and firm. I try to roll over to get back on top, but for the first time I feel Weiss overpower me and hold me on the bed by my shoulders, her fingers pressing into them to an almost painful amount. I begin to squirm and wiggle underneath her, my heart pounding, and the movements of her tongue in my mouth begins to send me into a daze. My thoughts become foggy, and I can feel Weiss' left hand begin to drift down my shoulder and trail towards my neck, following my collarbone and beginning to traverse down my body.

I can't say I haven't thought of Weiss touching me in more intimate ways, but no matter how much I've thought about it, I could never be prepared for the real deal. However, my expectations are shattered when a familiar voice breaks the moment between us, making us break the kiss and gaze towards the door with wide eyes. It was Yang.

"Okay . . ." Yang closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, clearly trying to contain her anger. She's holding a clean bed sheet, neatly folded in her arms with an outfit that must be Blake's (Since it was primarily black) on top of the sheets. "Last time I saw something like this . . . I knocked out my sister, so . . . Weiss . . . you explain first . . . and then Ruby will explain." Yang opens her eyes, surprisingly they are still their lilac color.

"Well . . . we were . . ." Weiss looks down at me, then back to Yang before gulping. "Playing a game . . ?" Both of us cringe when Yang makes a sharp, audible exhale.

"Tonsil hockey is not a sport, Weiss . . . Ruby . . . What happened?"

"Sis, well . . . I showed Weiss the pocky game . . ."

Yang looks at me and lets out a loud sigh before shaking her head and walking over to Blake's bed. "I suppose with that being the case, then tonsil hockey is a game." Yang places Blake's outfit on a nearby dresser and begins to unfold the bed sheet to place them on Blake's bed.

"I'm getting used to you two being a couple . . . but I am still your older sister, Ruby. I'm always going to be protective, so you and Ice Queen will need to deal with it." Yang looks over her shoulder, smiling at the two of us. Weiss appears to be a lot more relaxed now and lets out a breath of relief.

"Thank you, Yang. I will make sure to not put you in this situation again." Weiss says, earning another smile from Yang, which then turns stern in a heartbeat.

"Good, you can start by getting off of my sister." Yang's firm tone makes Weiss jump, and quickly slide off of me. She stands up and begins to straighten out her beautiful, white dress that she wore her first day at Beacon.

"S-sorry." Weiss says, this time avoiding Yang's glare. I decide to sit myself up and close the box of pockies. I reach into the bag with the other box and pull it out as well, seeing it is actually strawberry instead of chocolate.

Wow, Weiss. You even got a new flavor? You're just the sweetest!

"So, Yang. Why were you only washing Blake's stuff?" I ask, looking over to my sister who just finished smoothing out the sheets.

"Oh! Well you see . . . hehehe" Yang scratches the back of her head, and Blake begins to stir around, waking up from her peaceful slumber. I wonder how long she's been out.

"How long have I been out?" Blake asks while she gazes around, sleepiness written all over her face.

"About 4 hours or so, I think. Oh, Ruby and Weiss are here."

"What!?" Blake's eyes widen and she quickly gazes down at her own outfit for some reason as if she lost something or forgot to do something. The look of surprise on her face switching to confusion, and finally anger as she looks at Yang.

"Yang, what the hell did you do!? Why am I in my uniform!?"

"Remember, you changed into them because you wanted me to wash your dirty yukata and bedsheets . . . I was gonna do it later since you fell asleep on your bed, but I decided to put you in mine and take care of it while you were napping." Yang says very nonchalantly.

"Wait, why are you doing Blake's laundry for her?" I ask, realizing that my sister is extremely reluctant to even do her own.

"Consequences, Ruby . . . the consequences of being a comical genius."

"Huh?"

"Well, Blake couldn't handle just how punny I can be. Honestly, I thought my jokes were purr-dy good, but she got Yangry at me and decided that me cleaning her yukata and bedsheets were PUNishment enough. So I had that option or be the victim of a CATastrophe

"Ugh!" Blake, Weiss and I all groan in unison.

"Oh come on! That was comedy genius!" Yang says in an attempt to defend her god-awful puns. I look at Weiss and Blake who are both face palming themselves after the machine gun barrage from my sister.

"We need a new author, this is too much." Blake says, still shaking her head.

"Wait what?"

"Nothing, Ruby . . . just thinking out loud."

"Okay . . . oh, speaking of which! Blake, what was that thing you said describes Weiss? I totally forgot. It was a word like ummm . . . 'soon-there' I think."

"What?"

"That word you used to describe when Weiss changes from being all 'grrrrr' to being all 'awwwww'."

"Oh, Tsundere is the word you are looking for."

"Hey! Why am I being branded with names? And what the hell is a 'Soon-dear' anyway?" Weiss interrupts, looking from me to Blake constantly.

"I can always call you Seductress with how I've found you on my sister the past two times, Weiss." Yang says out loud which quickly makes Weiss blush and go quiet, and makes me and Blake laugh.

"Anyway," Blake begins, "A tsundere is a person who is initially cold and even hostile towards another person before gradually showing their warm side over time. It's a term from the Japanese manga I read."

"Mon-guh?" Yang, Weiss and I all say in unison.

"Ugh! COMICS!" Blake explains, hopping down from her bed and grabbing her clean outfit from the table Yang placed it on. She walks over to Yang who is now sitting on Blake's bed and whispers something into Yang's ear before giving my sister a quick peck on the cheek. The gesture making Weiss and I both look at each other, then black at the B&amp;Y of Team RWBY.

"Well, I'm going to take a shower." Blake announces, going over to the drawer near her bed and pulling out a pair of black panties and walking into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

After the door closes Weiss and I look at each other again before locking our eyes onto Yang.

"Yang, is there something you're not telling us?" I ask. My sister quickly shaking her head and standing up and looking at the window.

"Wait, why is Sun here?" Yang asks while quirking her brow. Weiss and I both make the mistake of looking at the closed window with the sight of nothing but a tree outside, because when we look back Yang is out of the sight, and the room door is slammed shut.


	18. Temptations and Twin Tails

_**POV: BLAKE BELLADONNA**_

**Chapter 18 – Temptations and Twin Tails**

I let out a soft sigh after shutting the bathroom door, relieved to be out of the sight of Ruby and Weiss. I feel so filthy after what happened a few hours ago. I could smell my arousal still lingering on me after I awoke from my slumber, and am more than grateful for Yang changing my sheets and washing my clothes.

Wait, she did put me in a different outfit. She better not have . . .

I quickly take off my uniform shirt and skirt, relieved when I see the same pair of bra and panties I've been wearing since morning. She really didn't go further than I allowed her although I did not plan to be sent over the edge just by her playing with my ears. After that experience I am far more hesitant to take off my bow with Yang nearby, especially after she displayed what she is capable of doing to me.

I strip off my black panties with white lining, and my bra that matches with the same design. My bow is the last to come off – which was put on me by Yang in a rather amateur fashion while I was sleeping. I set the water in the shower to run, reaching in every few seconds to check when it is finally warm enough for me to climb in. The bathroom has crimson red tiles on the floor, matching the red carpet that is outside the room door. The walls are designed with the same sized tiles, but white. Pretty much everything aside from the tiles on the floor are the looks of a standard bathroom. The sink is directly in front of whoever is entering the bathroom with the bathtub to the right, and the toilet to the left. Above the toilet is a window to which we personally added black drapes and a white-colored copy of each of our emblems to be placed on it. It's not a spacey bathroom, but it does the job very well.

After the water is warm enough I turn the center knob to change the water to flow from the shower head, (Out of the three that are there the left being cold, and right being hot) step inside the shower, letting out a happy sigh to the warm liquid bathing my flesh in its embrace. It's a wonderful feeling to have the warm water trickling down my body, and more importantly my recently sticky thighs. I shiver, thinking of Yang's fingers trailing over my ears, her soft lips against mine and embracing me in such a soft hold, yet a hold that I cannot escape from, physically or mentally.

Just who are you, Yang Xiao Long

I wonder in my mind constantly. A woman of many flaws, but even those flaws being perfect in their own right. Yang is perverted, extremely so, but even then she did not take advantage of me after I fell asleep. She changed my clothes appropriately, and made well to hide what happened. She had me beat in our fight a couple of days ago, yet she forfeited just to prove that she was not in it for our bet. She has a heart as kind as her little sister, despite hiding herself behind a tough exterior. It has taken me until now to realize, but Yang Xiao Long represents a kind soul that stepped down an adult path too early in life, much like myself. However, while her path to adulthood was drinking and being active within the bedroom, my path revolved around fighting discrimination and being a part of a globally feared group.

I grab the soap and begin to lather my body while I continue my thoughts, creating a mental T-chart and finding that Yang and I are so different, yet so similar. It scares me to think how much Yang and I would be alike if we grew up without alcohol or the White Fang in our lives. While I am lost within my thoughts I finish lathering up my full form and move back under the water to wash away the lingering stench of my own perversion and lust. I am clean again, physically at least. Mentally all I can think about is Yang. Her smile, her eyes, her concave hips, that confident smirk she bares along with a sway in her hips that entices any she walks by. How soft her bust felt against my back earlier, and the many thoughts I now have of her caressing my entire form.

I give my head a hard shake, and quickly lower the hot water, bathing myself a few seconds in the cold before turning the shower off completely. I need to keep that blonde brawler out of my mind, but after tonight I doubt I will be able to look her way without being flustered. As the water drips off of my form and into the drain, I open the black shower curtains to find the nearby towel rack and reach for my black towel. I make short work of dying myself, working from my upper body down to my legs before stepping out of the shower. The next five minutes are spent giving my hair a short dry, and the following two minutes are spent dressing myself into my freshly washed yukata. Upon opening the bathroom door, I am greeted by the sight of Ruby laying on top of Weiss. The adorable couple are sharing gazes and soft pecks, at least until my entrance back into the bedroom startle them.

"No need to worry about me, I'm not Yang." I say over to the two while I go over to my bed and collapse on the comfortable mattress.

"A-actually, Blake. We wanted to talk to you." I lift my head up and look at Ruby who is now standing up and walking towards me. I am a bit too comfy to get up, so instead I roll over to make room for Ruby. Laying comfortably on my stomach, and bringing my arms underneath my head to use as a pillow while I look at Ruby who sits at the edge of the bed. Weiss waiting a bit before soon following and sitting at the other edge (near the wall) to form a triangle between the three of us.

"If this is about the body in the Emerald Forest, I swear it was self-defense."

"What!?" Weiss jumps to her feet, both Ruby and I laughing as Weiss falls for my little moment of entertainment.

"A-anyway," Ruby stutters a moment while she formulates her words, "I . . . I just wanted to ask you to please take care of my sister. She's a bit hard to deal with, makes awful jokes, she likes to drink and get into trouble . . . and" Ruby looks over at me with those soft silver eyes. Of course I will take care of Yang, but the way Ruby is phrasing it, she's making it sound like Yang and I are a couple.

"Um, why are you telling me this, Ruby?" I ask without lifting my head from my arm-pillows. She takes a deep breath and sighs.

"Because, I saw you kiss Yang on the cheek before you went into the shower."

"If I kissed you on the cheek right now would that mean we're dating?"

"She hates doing her own laundry, but was perfectly fine doing yours."

"It's better than feeling my wrath."

"You have a hickey on your neck!" Ruby shouts at me and looks away with red cheeks, Weiss having to muffle her own giggles when I throw my hand over my neck, remembering that Yang had marked me while I was bordering between the world of Remnant and my own world of eternal bliss, and I completely forgot about it. I take a deep breath, looking at Ruby and her blush with my own starting to form.

"Neither of you will utter a word of this . . . otherwise I will haunt you both for the rest of your lives." I switch a piercing gaze between Weiss and Ruby, both nodding to me.

"I do like Yang. It took me until 10 minutes ago to realize it, but I do. She's asked me out a few times already, and I rejected each attempt because well," I look over at Ruby, "Your sisters tendencies in her past relationships don't make me feel that secure." My response gets a nod from Ruby.

"But . . . if she asks you out now you will say yes, right?" Ruby asks with those silver eyes pleading for a yes.

"I will, Ru-"

"Yay!" Ruby shouts and attempts to pounce me into a hug, resulting me in almost falling off the bed, but I quickly roll over and hold Ruby down by the shoulders to avoid that happening.

"Calm down, Little Red." I sigh, "Your sister has shown me that she cares about me enough, but I am still hesitant on going out with her."

"But . . . if Yang has asked you out several times already, then she must really be into you." Ruby smiles at me, then looks away prior to releasing a huff. "It'd be nice to see Yang with someone that I get along with, and she won't dump the next week, and if she's been trying this much then it has to be real for her. She is known for only trying once and shrugging it off afterwards."

I nod my head to Ruby, Weiss sitting at the edge of the bed once again after settling down from the startle of my earlier joke. "Well, I suppose I could support the two of you. After all, if you two are together than it will keep Yang off of Ruby and I." There goes Weiss giving her indirect support for me. She's a total tsundere.

The sound of the door unlocking makes the three of us look over to see Yang entering. I wonder where she went, anyway. Upon her entering she is simply staring at me, and quirking her eyebrow while I return her confused look.

"Is there a problem, Yang?" I ask after a few seconds of awkward silence.

". . . Just trying to figure out why everyone seems to want to be on top of my sister is all." She responds, keeping a way calmer tone since she very well knows I have no interest in Ruby Rose, but I figure I could have my usual fun.

"Actually, I never played the pocky game before," I lie, "And I wanted Ruby and Weiss to teach me. Ruby was the one to volunteer." I can feel the three of them all stare daggers at me. If looks could kill I'd have lost all nine of my lives. The simultaneous anger and annoyance brings a smile to my lips as I roll off of Ruby, who Yang quickly walks over and snatches by the wrist to drag out the room with her.

"Ruby and I will be getting dinner. See you two at the cafeteria." Yang says while Ruby tries to pull her arm free and reach her free hand out to Weiss.

"But, Yang! I wanna stay with Weiss!" Ruby cries out before disappearing around the corner with the blonde brawler. That overprotective nature was far too easy to mess with. I sit at the edge of the bed where Ruby was previously before pouncing me, and smile at Weiss who is to my right.

"Alright, Weiss. I'm guessing you want those little tips for Ruby?"

"Naturally. I didn't go through an entire day with a sugar-crazed Ruby Rose for nothing."

"Tsundere."

"Don't be a pest. Now tell me." Weiss says while giving me that stern, piercing glare of her. A glare that only annoys me instead of intimidate.

"Twintails."

"Huh?"

"Your hair . . . for prom do it into a twintail. I watched some anime with Ruby . . . she obsesses over characters with twintails"

"Do you think I do twintails? They are so childish-looking!"

"Well, if you want to make Ruby's night, then do twintails, and if you're so worried about it looking childish, then country-style is the way to go. Aside from that, just talk about your past with her. It's not even a week since you two started going out so I know that's a big, fat no, but I'm just letting you know a few things to help . . . the easiest of the two for you would be twintails." I smile, standing up from the bed and walking over to Weiss, more specifically the dresser right next to her so I can grab my scroll that Yang also took the liberty of placing there.

"I refuse to do twintails! And what makes a 'country-style' twintail different?" Weiss finally speaks up. Her loud tone makes me look down at her in slight surprise, more from the fact that she doesn't know what a country-style twintail is.

"I'll do your hair for you during prom night, don't worry." I comment, placing my scroll into my back pocket and walking towards the window, opening it up. "I'm going to go get dinner, but I'll take a scenic route. Meet you there." I smile before hopping to the tree just outside the window and climbing my way up to the roof, casually walking along the dorm building and spotting Ruby and Yang off in the distance. I switch to a small jog, following the rooftops to bypass them to the cafeteria. When I arrive I walk in, grabbing myself a small salad and an apple since I did not like the selection between chicken, stew, or pizza that they are offering, and find a table to sit at. Not too long after I see Yang and Ruby enter, both going for a slice of pizza and being surprised to see me while they are deciding where to sit in the semi-crowded cafeteria, and comes to the table I am at. The two sisters decide to sit across from me while I make short work of the small meal I gathered.

"Where's Weiss?" Ruby asks, making Yang roll her eyes. At the same moment I feel my scroll go off. I take it from my pocket and open it up, looking at an image of Weiss from the front with her hair split into two ponytails, one hanging over each of her shoulders. She is sporting a nervous look, and a large blush. She must feel really awkward with twintails. She did them too high up, but I smile, reading the small message to go with it.

Ice Queen: Is this how they go?

"She'll be down a bit later. She needed to take care of a few things." I answer, putting my scroll back into my pocket.

She's definitely a tsundere.


	19. Wants, Wishes, and Weiss

_**POV: RUBY ROSE**_

**Chapter 19 – Wants, Wishes, and Weiss.**

Ever since my trip to Vale with Weiss two days ago (Wednesday) there's been a weird air about her. She's been so focused on her classes, which is of course how Weiss is, but she's been on top of them more so than usual. We spend our nights studying and doing homework, escaping from the room a little bit – primarily to escape Yang's sight – and have short breaks together by either going to the roof and enjoying the view, or sitting at the fountain in the main courtyard of Beacon. She still spends time with me, but I feel as if I am not getting my daily dose of Weiss. When I take note of it, I really don't notice anything different, but my sixth sense screams at me that Weiss has been spending less time with me even if it is just by the second.

It shouldn't bother me at all. Weiss is a naturally distant person, and even then she has shown me more of her in these last five days than she has during our entire first semester together. I always thought I knew Weiss very well (Personality wise anyway, she refused to speak of her personal life with me, and I did not make any attempts to pry for that matter) but with that hidden side of her, I have been learning more about the softer version of Weiss. How she likes to snuggle with me after we first get back to the room before we study. The way she places her hand on the bench during our classes and waits for me to put my hand on hers, and if I don't I get such a scolding, but with what she is scolding me over it becomes hard to not smile.

It is Friday night. Blake left the room about 15 minutes ago, and Weiss left about 5 minutes ago after giving me a gentle, french kiss. She's been finding all my little weaknesses and memorizing them; the most obvious one being my love for cookies. She knows how I feel when she pulls me on top of her just so we can look into each other's eyes. The way she caresses my cheek with her cold fingers, and whispers her sweet words of affection to me. To anybody outside of Teams RWBY and JNPR we have appeared to be the same duo. Me: the hyperactive, red-hooded leader. Weiss: the easily annoyed Ice Queen. It's not like we make it a point to hide our relationship but it's become somewhat of an unspoken agreement between us. We avoid the super romantics and save it for when we make it back to the dorm room, or go to the little island in the Emerald Forest that I brought Weiss to the day after we started dating. I miss Weiss already. I wanted to follow her, but she made me stay here to do stupid algebra. I swear whoever invented algebra didn't get the memo that X is not a number!

"Ruby!"

I jump, knocking my math book off of the bed and gazing over across the room to Yang who is looking at me with a rather annoyed look. She's wearing a pair of black boy shorts, and one of her orange tank tops. Over her left shoulder I can see her yellow bra-strap slightly from underneath the shirt, but I guess its fine since she already showered, meaning she won't be leaving the room for the rest of the night. As for me, I'm in my usual 'Ruby Rose' attire as I like to call it. My standard red and black outfit, although I unclipped my cape since it was getting in my way while I was trying to write, and my favorite combat boots are sitting by the doorway.

"Sheesh, I've been calling you for like the longest. Why do you look so down? Don't tell me it's 'cause Ice Queen left."

"Then I won't tell you." I sigh, climbing down from my rope-hung bed to gather my book and place it on my mattress.

"Ruby, you are getting to have an unhealthy obsession with Weiss. I mean . . . look at you! You're like a lovesick puppy."

"I know."

I groan and hang my head. Yang is right, but I've never felt like this before. I first found out I liked girls during my sophomore year at Signal, and that didn't go too well. Yang spent every other day threatening someone for making fun of me, or knocking people halfway across the halls. Normally she would have been suspended several times over, but nobody had the guts to snitch on her. Eventually the staff figured it was Yang when some boy got a broken jaw, and that same day Yang went to class with a makeshift cast of her own creation to hold together a fractured hand, but he didn't say a word about it. Thinking about it now, if I never came out the closet in Signal, Yang's right cross wouldn't be what it is today.

"Look, Rubes." Yang says while walking over and sits down on Weiss' bed, patting the spot next to her for me to join. "You're not gonna like it, but you and Weiss are going to need to do different things, and by that I mean separately. Knowing Weiss she is probably going to join some debate team, or anything else that will flaunt her smart-ass attitude, and I'm sure you will be more than happy to start spending more time in the workshop with Crescent Rose. It's not going to be easy, but you'll adapt to it. You're in what I like to call 'The Cupcake Phase'. All you two ever want to do is be around each other, no matter what it is, and I will say that it is cute, but I hate seeing my baby sis all depressed when Weiss has to step away. Normally I'd threaten to break her face, but she's been doing right. Remember me saying this now, because I will never say it again, but I think Weiss is right for you."

I look at Yang, smiling as she does her best to comfort me. She's always been there for me when I need her, no matter what it is. I lean over and wrap my arms around her, burying my eyes and nose into her neck. I feel her large, warm arms wrap around me and pull me closer, a moment later I feel a slight moisture on my forehead, followed by the slight sound of lip-smacking. She just kissed me on the forehead.

"Thanks, Yang. I'm gonna go out and get a bit of air, kay?" I say while I stand up and smile at my big sister.

"Alright Rubes. Don't be too long." Yang tells me while getting off of Weiss' bed and walking back to her own.

I go to the door and put my combat boots on, followed by my cape-hood before walking out the door. I decide it may be best to go outside, more specifically to a Cliffside about a mile away from Beacon. The same Cliffside that I decapitated a giant Nevermore and landed on. The only reason I am not going down to the locker room to fetch my darling is because the Grimm population has been way down around the shallow areas of the forest, and as long as I can run I won't have any troubles escaping boarbatusks and beowolves. As I exit the dorm rooms and pass by the fountain in the main courtyard I turn to small jog, and then a sprint as I disappear into the forest. I decide to have a little fun and hop onto the strong branches of the many trees and begin using my semblance to bounce from tree to tree as I make my way to my destination. Needless to say I am there in about two minutes flat, although I am not alone it seems.

I can hear someone shouting along with the sound of wind-cutting strikes of a weapon. I press my back to one of the trees and peek around to see who it is. I am met with what I initially think is a Grim, but with a closer look it is someone wearing a well sculpted armor set to resemble Grim bones. From the chestpiece, to the shoulderpads, and even the creepy-looking helmet, but what I notice are his weapons.

He is currently swinging a large claymore, and after my eyes adjust a little more and focus, I can see it has a shotgun function to it.

"Hmmm . . . I've seen that before. I never forget a weapon."

I crouch down and look a little closer, seeing two katanas at his hips, and when I gaze at their hilts it hits me.

Those link to become twinblades! Wait! I've seen him in Vale! He's a student here!?

I begin to grow excited, watching his form and pressing my weight into the tree, watching him handle the large claymore with ease as if it were nothing more than a basic shortsword. My desire to get a closer look makes me unaware of a twig I step on, and the figure turns towards me with the shotgun aimed at the tree I am standing behind, leaving me under the assumption that he can't see me.

"Who's there!? Answer or I'll blow that tree back to Patch."

Patch? He's from Patch!? That's my hometown! That's where Signal is! Who is this guy?

My thoughts gets interrupted when I hear a small clicking sound, from what I assume to be him cocking his weapon as a final warning.

"Don't shoot! I'm from Beacon!" I shout, but still keeping myself close to the tree.

"Beacon? Huntress in training, I assume. Are you armed?"

"No, there are never any Grim over here so I didn't bring one."

I keep a careful watch on him. The moment I say I am not armed he takes off his two katanas, stabbing them into the ground with about a foot of distance between them, and then stabs his claymore into the space between the katanas with the blade sides of the large, double-edged sword facing the two smaller blades. He sits on the ground with his legs crossed, leaning back against the flat end of his claymore. I take that as my welcome sign to come out.

"Sorry about that, hehehe." I say while scratching the back of my head and walking towards him, stopping with about five yards between us. "Didn't think anyone else came out here."

"I could say the same thing. Name's Wolfblade. Ace Wolfblade. Leader of Team AZRE"

"Ruby. Ruby Rose, and lea-"

"Leader of team RWBY. I remember you. You're the crimsoness that killed the giant Nevermore during initiation, and got called Crater Face for the first week because of the whole episode with that Schnee girl."

Just when I thought all of that was behind me . . . Why do people have to know me? I just want to be seen as everyone else.

"Hehehe, if you go to Beacon too, how come I haven't seen you?" I ask out of curiosity.

"Well, I'm a blacksmith by trade. So, I tend to stay around the workshop and help people with their weapons. It's always nice to see some new weapons. It's better than meeting people." He says with a slight chuckle to his voice.

"I know, right!" I shout with an enthusiastic response. He seems nice enough, but I refuse to take another step closer.

"Anyway, what's a pretty gal doing out here in the Emerald Forest at night? Don't take that the wrong way, I'm sure you're very capable of handling yourself, but you didn't even bring a weapon out here, so I assume you didn't come here to train like I did."

"Nope."

"Scout the area?"

"Nope."

"Um . . . star gaze?"

"Nope."

"Fresh air?"

"Yup!" I giggle, and take a seat on the ground where I am standing, crossing my legs just like he is. I can tell he is making it a point to keep his hands in front of him so I don't think he will reach for his weapons.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you to it then, I've been here for about an hour, time for me to head back anyway before Matt starts whining." He stands up, stretching himself out and begins reaching for his weapons, but pauses and looks over to me. "Mind if I pick these up?"

"Sure, and also: Why were you in Vale two days ago?"

"Huh? How did you-"

"I never forget a weapon. Especially when you carry three unique ones."

"Fair enough. I have been working on some extra functions for my weapons, and went to buy some dust to see what I can do with 'em." He explains while placing his katanas back on his hips, and his claymore in the sheath over his shoulder. He begins walking towards me, but then turns slightly to keep a safe distance while he circles around me to head back to Beacon.

"Oh, and sorry about that Schnee girl. Don't you hate heiresses? They can be such assholes at times."

If I wasn't going out with Weiss I would have totally agreed with him, but the fact that he was specifically insulting her with that comment makes me explode for a brief moment.

"I'd appreciate it if you don't insult my girlfriend, you jerk!" I say with a hard stomp of my foot. I quickly cover my mouth, more from the fact that I slipped up and let out the fact that Weiss and I are dating to some stranger.

"Girlfriend?" He asks, looking over his shoulder at me, "I take it back then. She can't be an asshole if she's dating someone as cute as you. See you around Ruby Rose. Also, don't worry. Your relationship is not mine to discuss." He says, facing forward and waving an arm in farewell. I walk to the edge of the cliff, sitting down and thinking about what Yang said to me earlier.

"You're not gonna like it, but you and Weiss are going to need to do different things, and by that I mean separately"

"But I don't want to do anything without Weiss!" I shout, falling back into the grass and groaning in frustration. I close my eyes, losing myself to thoughts of what the future will bring, and losing track of time, at least until my scroll goes off and I quickly take it out to see it's a message from Weiss.

Princess: Dolt, where are you? Call me ASAP.

I look at the sent time on the message. Since it was recent it will also tell me what time it is now.

23:30

"Holy crap, it's almost midnight!"

I jump to my feet, forgetting about calling Weiss for now and use my semblance to make a dash for Beacon. Upon getting back on campus I open my scroll to call Weiss, the time is 23:32. I wait patiently for the ringing to end while speed walking my way across campus.

"You DOLT! Where are you!?" I am greeted by the voice of a furious Weiss.

"I'm on campus. If you open the window I can save about a minute of time to get into the room."

"It's open. Hurry up and get in here. I'm . . . I mean, Yang is worried sick about you!"

"Well I'm glad Yang cares." I smile. Even on the phone Weiss can be a little hesitant to admit her feelings, but it's one of the things I find cute about her. As I reach the fountain I look along the side of the dorm building to spot my room's light on through the branches of the tree that sits nearby. I put my scroll into my pocket and begin hopping up the branches with a small flurry of rose petals being left after each jump. When I reach the same level as the room I hop in and roll to keep from making too much noise. I look left, smiling at Blake who is reading a book, and Yang who is giving me an annoyed glare.

"I know . . . you said not to be out too long."

Then I turn right to look towards Weiss' and my bed, although when I look that way, Weiss is standing inches from me with a face that is beyond pissed.

"Don't you ever worry me like that, Ruby Rose. You have no idea how many times I wanted to call you but Yang refused to give me my scroll. I was worried sick. If you ever pull something like that again I swear I'll-"

I've had enough of Weiss' adorable ranting and give her a quick kiss to silence my Snow Heiress.

"I missed you too, Princess." I whisper to her and smile.

"Pest." She comments and turns around before I can get a glimpse at her oncoming blush. I take off my combat boots and take off my combat skirt and shirt since I had a tank top and shorts underneath, similar to Yang's, but my shorts are crimson, and my shirt is black. I fold my outfit up as best I can and place it on the dresser near my bed, deciding I will put it away tomorrow since it will be Saturday and everyone will most likely be sleeping in.

"Two days till prom! So, who're you taking, Yang?" I look over at my sister, resting on her bed. Upon me asking she gets a slight blush – something I've never seen too often from her.

"Well, I need to overlook the event a little, so I haven't had time to go date hunting." She looks away, and Blake (Who is on her own bed) looks over to me and points at herself, making me giggle.

"I know it is a Friday night, but can we please shut off the lights? I feel extremely tired." Weiss says, already laying down in her nightgown and covered up with her blanket.

"Sure, I'm done reading anyway." Blake answers.

I walk over to Weiss and give her a quick hug and kiss on her forehead before hopping onto my bed.

"Night, Yang"

"Night, Ruby"

"Night, Blake."

"Sleep well, Little Red."

"Night, Princess."

"Goodnight, Dolt."

I let out a little giggle. I love when she calls me a dolt.

* * *

**(Morning)**

I wake up the next morning to an empty room. I look at the clock and see it is already 10:30, and even Yang who can sleep until noon is gone. I quickly get up and throw on my red shirt and combat skirt and make my way out the door. After closing the room I pull out my scroll to see I have a message from Weiss, Yang, and Blake.

Princess: Went into Vale with Blake and Yang. Be back by noon.

Sis: Sure Ice Queen already messaged you, but went to Vale with her and Blake. Need shells for Ember Celica.

Blake: Dragged to Vale. Save me.

I laugh as I read Blake's message. By the timestamp on each they left half an hour ago. The airship ride itself was about forty-five minutes, so they will be arriving there soon. Without anybody else around I begin to realize just how right Yang was, but I don't care. I need my Ice Princess in my arms, and I won't let anybody stop me from making up lost time, but for now I guess I should go to the sparring arena and watch an exhibition or two to pass the time while I wait for my team to return, and hopefully get some time with my girlfriend today. This being the third day that I get my Weiss time taken away.


	20. Re-Stocked and Re-Kindled

POV: YANG XIAO LONG

Chapter 20 – Re-Stocked, and Re-Kindled

"So, why did you want to go to Vale so early, Weiss? And why drag Blake with you?" I ask while we sit on the airship that has just recently departed.

"I need to get something from Vale, and Blake is the only person who can assist me with that." Weiss says in that matter-of-fact attitude of hers. "Speaking of which, how is she?" I shake my head and point down to Blake who is laying her head on my lap and half asleep.

"I don't know how you would have gotten her here if I didn't need to come to restock on my ammo for Ember Celica. I practically had to carry her here for you."

"I am aware of that, Yang, and thank you."

"So, what is it that you need to buy precisely?"

"Scrunchies and . . . something else. Blake will show me where the store I want is." I give a shrug of my shoulders and nod my head, reaching down to rub Blake's shoulder to help my partner get another half an hour of rest before we reach Vale's shopping district.

On arriving I give Blake a gentle shake of her shoulder, repeating the soft motion to let her get up peacefully. Weiss is already out the door and waiting for the two of us, but I continue to gently shake Blake with only getting grunts of disapproval from her.

"Bla~~~~ke. If you don't get up Weiss is going to take a picture of you napping on me and send it to Nora."

Sure enough that response gets Blake to move off my lap with a reluctant groan. She takes a moment to look around, not seeing Weiss anywhere and quickly shoots me one of her signature Death Glares. We make our way out the docked airship and look at Weiss who is standing with her arms crossed and tapping her foot impatiently.

"Can we get a move on? I don't want to be here longer than needed." She says with a rushed voice.

"No need to rush, Heiress." Blake whispers, finally snapping out of her groggy spell. "You and I will take care of our thing. Yang can go buy her supplies for Ember Celica, and some dust cartridges for your rapier."

"Wait, how did you know I was low? I forgot about it myself."

"Ruby mentioned it to me on Thursday. You'll be surprised how observant she can be. When it comes to her precious 'Princess' anyway."

I place a hand over my mouth to hide a smile and giggle when Blake's words make Weiss go red in the face.

"Alright, I'll leave you two to do your thing. I'll go order my shells and have them delivered. Goodwitch said they'll keep 'em in storage until I go take 'em, right?"

"Yes." Both say in perfect sync.

"Wait, how am I going to pay for Weiss' dust? I don't have enough for that as well."

"You're going to From Dust 'Till Dawn, correct?" Weiss asks me with a roll of her eyes.

"Well, that's the only dust shop I know about in the area."

"Then just tell him you need dust for Myrtenaster. Then just type in the code 1652 when he asks. Every dust shop in Vale has my credit card on file."

"Alrighty! Have fun you two!" I shout and take off in a jog. From Dust 'Till Dawn is five blocks ahead of me at the end of a 3-way intersection. I can go there, make a right at the intersection and go another block to the local ammunition store "Mo'shells." I decide to go get my order placed first so I don't need to carry around a suitcase of dust the extra distance. The streets are decorated with the crowds of the early Saturday shoppers. I look around and make note of all the cafes, dress shops, restaurants, clothing stores, and shoe stores for the first few blocks before they become scarce when I reach From Dust 'Till Dawn, indicating I am entering the more 'industrial' section of Vale. I make my right turn as planned and walk to the next corner and enter the store.

As I push the door open I hear a small bell go off, letting the employee(s) know someone is here. I walk up to the counter, knocking on it firmly until I see a tall lion faunus come out. He has long blonde hair that goes down to his shoulders. A blonde beard that is kept well-trimmed and thin, following his jawline until it gets to his chin where it becomes slightly thicker, but still well-kept nonetheless. He towers over me, standing at 6'8, wearing a black T-shirt with blue jeans. He steps up to the counter, looking down at me with a smirk he bore arrogantly on his face.

"Yang, nice to see you. How's Tai and Qrow?"

"They're fine, Lee. I need some rounds for Ember Celica. Just normal shells, I still have plenty of the explosive batch you gave me."

Lee's been a good friend of the family, always giving me a bargain on ammo for me and Ruby. He keeps in touch with our dad and Uncle Qrow. He has never met Ruby since I don't like bringing her to this part of town, but he knows the ammo she uses as well, and has seen a few pictures of her from Uncle Qrow and myself.

"Alright, so you want standard 12-gauge, 240 shells, as usual?"

"Yup, you know the deal."

"And going to Beacon?"

"Eeeyup"

"Alright, they'll be there on Tuesday. I'll throw in three clips for Ruby too, no charge."

"Awesome! She'll be happy." I smile, reaching into the pocket of my brown jacket to pay.

"No charge, Yang. I'm still sitting pretty on the winnings I got from your last fight in The Pit."

"Really? That was like . . . a month ago. How much did you win?"

"I was going 4 to 1. Everyone thought you were going to lose, so I made a good 5000 lien that night."

"Wow . . . mind sharing?"

"I like you, kid. But not that much"

I smile and give a shrug of my shoulders, thanking Lee for the complimentary restock, and make my exit to go get Weiss' dust. However, on my way over I see a familiar figure across the street. Covered in a red short-sleeve coated with black designs, a black skirt that goes to her knees, thigh-high red heels, red gloves that go up to the elbow, and long black hair. The only accessories I don't see on her are her claws, the black fur she usually wears over her shoulders, and the lack of her twin sister.

I grin, crossing the street, still unnoticed by Miltiades Malachite while she walks in the same direction of From Dust Till Dawn. I catch up to her just shy of the dust shop, an alleyway sitting to our right to which I push her into from behind and turn her around while pressing her to a wall by her shoulder with the use of my left hand. When she sees who I am I move my hand from her shoulder and place my palm on the wall just next to her head to block her exit

"Well, well, well. Miltia Malachite. Haven't seen you in a while. How's Mel?"

I smile as the bashful half of the twin sisters looks up at me with anger in her eyes.

"In pain no thanks to you brutalizing her in The Pit!" she screams at me, then quickly looks away. "You knew you could take her, you didn't need to break her ankle."

"I told you afterwards it wasn't on purpose. I'm not good with kicks. I got agitated and took the first chance I got to catch her leg. Believe me, I didn't want her ankle broken." I sigh, remembering the match and the cries that Melanie Malachite made when I twisted her leg. It really wasn't intentional.

"And I'm supposed to believe you!? I've spent the past 3 weeks looking after her, and now she's just getting back on her feet. She can't even wear her heels yet! You're nothing more than a heartless bi-"

"HEY!" I cut her off, giving a sharp flare of my aura that causes her to look down and close her eyes tight in fear, along with clenching her shoulders to her neck.

"Look. I didn't mean to." I bring my voice down to a calm whisper. I raise my right hand up to place my index and middle fingers underneath her chin, gently lifting her head. The frightened twin opens her pale, green eyes, meeting my lilac gaze. "I could always make it up to you." I say in the same tone, now bringing my thumb up to brush over Miltiades lower lip. At the same time I bring my right knee between her legs and press up firmly against the skirt. Her response is to jerk her body up and gasp, allowing me to press my thumb into her lips. I lean in to her ear, smiling at her quickened breathing.

"I've missed you, Miltia." I whisper to her, blowing gently into her ear. A smile crosses my lips when she shivers and gasps once more. I pull my head back slowly, looking at the Malachite twin who is now brushing her tongue over my thumb that rests in her lips, her eyes sealed shut.

"Your sister would definitely disapprove of the things we've done. Although I've done anything but hurt you." I slowly pull my digit from her lips, watching her try to lean forward to take it back into her soft lips. "Unfortunately, I'm working on getting myself a mate, so I can't spare a few hours with you like I used to." The pale green eyes open, looking at me with a needy, yet innocent glare.

"Your mates never last long anyway."

"Well, I want this one to last a while." I lean forward, pressing my lips to Miltiades' forehead. I let go of her chin and pull my knee from between her legs, the smaller form moving from the wall with shaky steps. "Like I said, it really wasn't intentional. Has Junior been paying her while she's been out?"

"No. He says he only pays for the work done, so I've been working extra hours to make up for it, but I'm still 100 lien short of the rent."

"Cheap bastard. Look, take this." I reach into my jacket and pull out an envelope, giving it to Miltiades. She looks at the envelope, then back at me before opening it.

"Y-yang . . . T-this is 400 more than I need!" She looks up at me in shock.

"Take it, the reward for the fight was 2000, and I haven't spent too much. Think of it as a thanks for the fun times." I smile, ruffling Miltiades' hair and step out of the alleyway, making a right turn and open the front door to From Dust Till Dawn. I walk up to the counter while looking at the frail, short, wrinkled, and balding man behind it.

"Hey, I need some dust for Myrtenaster." At the mention of the weapon he gives a quick nod of his head and enters something into his computer. On my side I see the small display ask me for a four digit pin, and quickly enter the numbers, reciting them in my head:

1-6-5-2

Then I press confirm. He disappears behind the back room for a moment, coming out with a large suitcase and opening it up to show 6 vials full of different colors of dust.

"Cool. I'm Yang by the way. The older sister of the red-caped girl that stopped those thugs from robbing the place like . . . half a year ago?" I ask while grasping the case by the handle. He nods to me again, and extends his hand out for me to shake.

"Well, it was a pleasure." I wave to him as I walk out the door. After getting outside I reach into my pocket to pull out my scroll and message Blake that I'm done.

Me: All done here. Have Weiss' dust.

Kitty Cat: Almost done. Meet us at the airship.

Me: kk.

I begin to walk my way back towards the airship departure site. After the third block I see Weiss and Blake across the street, just turning the corner from the street perpendicular to the one I am walking on and now walking in the same direction as me, but on the other side of the road. I continue walking on my side, figuring I'll end up at the same place as them anyway. At the end of the next two blocks I bump into the duo inside the parked airship that is sitting still on one of five large landing platforms.

"Got your dust, Weiss." I smile, looking to see a box wrapped up in white gift wrap with a red bow on top sitting on Weiss' lap.

"Thanks. Glad we were able to handle that quick enough." Weiss pulls out her scroll, checking to see that the ship will be leaving in five minutes.

"So, what's in the box?"

"A gift, obviously."

"For?"

"Who do you think, Yang?" She groans in annoyance.

"Jaune." I say bluntly, getting a laugh out of Blake.

"No, you pest. It's for my girlfriend . . . We make a week tomorrow."

"Did you really just buy a gift for a one week anni?"

"No, I bought a gift for the rambunctious dolt I care for."

Yup. She's definitely right for my sister.

I sit down between Weiss and Blake, noting Blake is holding a large, red shopping bag in her hand. She sees me eyeballing it and answers me before I can even ask the question.

"They are scrunchies, Yang. Weiss only has one of each color. I told her she only needed to get one to match whatever color she wants to use with her outfit tomorrow, but she went and doubled up on every color."

"Why do you need two of each color, Weiss?" I ask, turning to the pale heiress.

"I'm doing my hair in twintails for the dance, and while I doubt I will ever do my hair in such a way again, I rather be safe and have any color I need for an occasion." I spot a small blush on the heiress' cheeks before she looks away and sets the box down carefully at her side.

Aw, Ice Queen is even doing her hair up all nice for my baby sis!

"So, is whatever in that box the reason you've been spending slightly less time with Rubes?"

"Yes. I needed to slip away from Ruby so I could check online for a gift she would enjoy. Blake has been kind enough to help me search and giving me the yes or no to each of my suggestions. This one caught my eye immediately and Blake agreed it is the perfect gift."

I nod my head and sit back, a bit more at ease knowing my baby sis has someone to care for her ALMOST as much as I do.


	21. A Ladybug in A Titan's World

_Being totally honest here. I would consider this more of a filler._

_There are spoilers of the first episode of Attack on Titan in here . . . so if you never saw the first episode and don't want it spoiled . . . please try to skip over it . . . although it's only the first episode xD_

* * *

**_POV: BLAKE BELLADONNA_**

**_Chapter 21 – A Ladybug in a Titan's World._**

I let out a loud yawn as I stretch out across the bench. It's been about half an hour or so since we left Vale, and I decided to try to catch up on a little more of my sleep that Weiss took away from me by waking me up so early in the morning. It's been nice and quiet so far with Yang and Weiss sharing a happy conversation for once. I've been bouncing on and off with sleep, but that's my own fault. I've grown use to Yang's aura seeping into my skin that it becomes a task to sleep without it, although I was barely sleeping without to begin with. I close my eyes once more, figuring I will try to get a few more minutes of sleep before we arrive. Unfortunately, that is not the case and with a fright I jump off of Yang's lap, looking at the Blonde Brawler with annoyance. Although she appears to be elated beyond recognition, and not noticing my stare which she is usually able to sense.

"This is awesome! Team CFVY is out on a mission with Professor Port!" Yang shouts, fist pumping and hissing out several yeses underneath her breath.

"And what is so great about that?" I ask, leaning forward to look around Yang and to Weiss who is much more relaxed about this.

"With Team CFVY out, Yang and I can now use today to alter the mess they made of the prom. It will most likely take the entire day, but we will be able to fix the inconsistencies that hipster Coco managed to sneak in from my absence during the last meeting."

"Such as?"

"She wanted to serve coffee instead of punch, brown drapes instead of white, and wanted to make the event only inside instead of allowing it to be both inside the ballroom, and outside on the front and back patios, claiming it to teach everyone to share space."

"Yeah . . . if that happened I would have slept on the roof the whole night." I comment, realizing the blessing to have Team CFVY out of Beacon. I pause a moment and think, realizing that Weiss has been more excited about this prom than Yang, yet hasn't shed a single sign of excitement. I keep my eye on Weiss a moment who is now looking down at her scroll. I stand up, looking in the reflection of the window behind us to make out the image in the scroll just barely as Ruby.

_Just one more day, Weiss. From 5PM and throughout the night it will be a fit time to give Ruby that give of yours. DAMNIT. Now that I think about it, I was supposed to be spending the day with Yang for some sparring. Guess I'll try to find something to do with Ruby._

"That reminds me! Blake!" My eyes snap to Yang the moment I hear my name called.

"Hm?"

"Remember that little orb thingy you showed me on your scroll like last week? It was like the size of an apple."

"Yes, Yang, and it's a compact, High-Definition projector that connects to our scrolls through a micro-USB to HDMI plug to create a crystal clear projection on any flat surface. It's completely glare resistant too, so it can be used in almost complete daylight."

". . ." Yang raises an eyebrow at me, clearly not understanding a word I said.

"It's a portable big-screen TV for our scrolls." I simplify, rolling my eyes at her inability to understand even the slightest amounts of tech-talk. Ruby was an extreme weapon nut, and I have spent a bit of time with her explaining Gambol Shroud, and she explaining Crescent Rose. While she is an expert with weaponry I am about moderate, however when it comes to technology it is vice-versa with me teaching Ruby about it.

"Okay, well . . . since you wanted it so much I figured I'd give it to you during prom and all, but I just realized that then you wouldn't want to stay at prom and would just hide yourself in the room to watch cartoons all night long."

"Anime." I correct, not realizing entirely what Yang said until a second after, "Wait, you got me that!? Yang, that's nearly 800 lien!"

"750 to be exact."

"How could you even afford that? Plus you don't even have a credit card."

"Actually," Weiss cuts in, "She paid me in cash and I purchased it for her."

"But how did-"

"I competed in The Pit last month, and haven't spent that much of the prize money. There's another match I'm signed up for in two weeks, and the prize is even bigger." Yang answers, already knowing my question. "Anyway, go in the room, and on the very bottom of my drawer you will find it in a black box."

"Um, should I even ask which drawer?"

"The one that you would never go into under normal circumstances."

_Great, it's in her damn panty drawer._

"Well, hopefully Ruby is still in the room. She can get it for me."

"No!" Yang yells, quickly placing her hands on my shoulders and staring at me with wide eyes. "Blake . . . if Ruby goes into that drawer . . . she will never look at me the same."

"It's just your panty drawer, Yang." I say while raising an eyebrow at the strange behavior of Yang.

"I have a few things on the bottom of that drawer that I rather not mention. Look, just go into the front right side of the drawer and the box is right there, I swear. You won't see anything if you go right for that corner."

"I won't even ask." I stand up, taking the bag of scrunchies, and the case of Weiss' dust cartridges in each hand and begin to walk for the door of the airship that has just finished docking.

"Wait, why are you taking those?" Yang asks while I keep walking.

"I might as well since you two need to do your work on the party."

"And what about Ruby's gift?"

"If Blake takes Ruby's gift with her than Ruby will surely get curious and open it, Yang." Weiss says with her 'could you have asked anything more retarded?' tone.

"Oh. Well, good luck with Ruby, Blake! At least you two can watch some cartoons together!"

"ANIME!" I scream at the seated blonde girl before exiting the ship and making my way to the dorm room.

_I hope Ruby hasn't missed Weiss too much._

After arriving at the dorm room I carefully bang the edge of Weiss' briefcase against the door three times.

"Ruby! It's Blake! You there?"

I hear some movement within the room and after a bit of fumbling about, Ruby finally opens the door. The disappointed look on her face when only I enter the room could be telegraphed for miles. I huff and clear my throat, doing my best to imitate Ruby's voice.

"Hey Blake! How was your morning?"

"Oh, it was just fine, Ruby. Thank you for asking." I respond to myself in my normal tone.

"S-sorry. Blake." Ruby sighs, walking up behind me and hugging me from the waist.

"It's fine, Little Red. Look, Yang got me a gift. It's a projector so we can watch some anime. I'm sure it'll cheer you up."

"I'm not in the mood to watch anime, Blake . . . I miss Weiss." I watch Ruby lay down on Weiss' bed and bury her face into the heiress' pillow. I take the moment to put the bag of scrunchies on Weiss' desk, and the suitcase of dust under the bed.

"You sure you don't want to, Ruby? The main characters use some awesome gear to swing around in the air and fight these gigantic humanoid creatures with nothing but air-powered gear and two swords."

"Sounds awesome, Blake . . . but I don't wanna."

"One of the main characters gets twintails."

At that mention Ruby is looking at me with semi-pleading eyes. I can't help but smile while admiring Ruby's admiration for such a simple hairstyle and give a nod of my head. "Let me get the projector." I whisper, going to my bed and climbing over it to get to the other side where Yang's dresser is. I open the top drawer, not daring to look inside in fear that Yang's 'unmentionable' items may be in sight. I follow the right edge of the drawer, reaching to the corner until I feel a palm-sized box and quickly pull it out while closing the drawer. I look at the little black box, opening it up and looking at the small orb that's about the size of a large orange. I carefully roll it in my hand, finding the HDMI slot, the clear plastic that must be the projector lense, several slits which must act as the surround-sound, and finally a suction cup at the bottom to stick it to any surface.

"Alright, Ruby. Let's see how we can get this set up…I need to get this and my scroll on the ceiling somewhere . . ."

"Or you can stick it to the bottom of Yang's bed and have it project on the wall and we can sit on your bed to watch?"

"Good idea . . . but this thing is too good for that. The space between the wall and Yang's bed is too small. Let's get this to look like a big-screen."

Ruby and I debate on what to do, eventually deciding to set the projector and my scroll near the window on top of my bookshelf, close the shades to the room, and project the images onto the wall and door since the door didn't have any ridges and the surface was completely flat. As I mess with my scroll to find the anime I mentioned earlier, Ruby decides to question me on what it is.

"So, what is the name of it, Blake?"

"Of what?"

"The anime!"

"Oh, it's called Shingeki No Kyojin . . . Just call it Attack on Titan."

Ruby gives a nod of her head, waiting patiently for me to find a good website to stream it off of. As I get it up and running I lay down on my side with Ruby laying the same way right in front of me and pressing herself against me just slightly. We always laid like this when we watch anime. It was like our version of bonding.

**************SPOILER IN THIS PARAGRAPH*****************

I smile as the familiar opening starts, Ruby getting entranced immediately with the determined and rebellious Eren Jaegar. The scary, yet badass Mikasa Ackerman, and the timid Armin Arlet. It didn't occur to me that the first episode may be a bit too much for Ruby, especially with the beginning showing the death of Eren's mother, reminding Ruby of her own. I wrap an arm around Ruby's waist, holding Little Red closer to me during the sad closing minutes of the first episode, and after that she starts to fall in love with it all. Becoming depressed when Mikasa cuts her hair, but becoming elated to see the twintails I promised in the later episodes after and during their training. I begin laughing after Ruby somehow memorizes the song after only four episodes, even managing to mimic the German lyrics perfectly.

"Sie sind das Essen und Wir sind die Jäger! Dum dum, dum dum. Dum de dum dum!"

I pull my arm from Ruby's waist and quickly cover my mouth during the start of each episode onward as she gets so into singing along, swinging her head back and forth to the metronome of the beat. I do, however, begin to feel bad when Ruby sees the badassery of Annie Leonhart and hopes that Annie gets more screentime as a badass titan killer. The irony is too great!

Ruby and I manage to kill several hours of the day, wasting away hours of our lives to SnK, however at the end of episode 13 (the halfway mark) Ruby asks me a surprising question.

"Blake, does Weiss hate me?"

"Huh? Why would you even think that?" I gently nudge Ruby away so I can turn her around to face me while we speak.

"Well, she's been slowly spending less time with me the past three days, and I haven't even seen her today, or gotten a text from her aside from the one she left me this morning." Ruby looks towards the carpeted floor and lets out an audible exhale from her nose.

"Ruby, Weiss is head over heels for you, trust me. Even on the airship ride back to Beacon I saw her staring at a picture of you on her scroll. She had to take care of final preparations on the dance with Yang, which is the only reason she is not here right now smothering you with kisses. Believe me when I say that Weiss is a lost puppy without you." Ruby giggles hearing my last words.

"You sound like Yang when you say that . . . but Yang calls me the lost puppy instead." Now it's my turn to laugh, giving Ruby's crimson-tipped hair a ruffle. We return to watching the anime, Ruby becoming shocked at every plot twist and introduction to even more characters, especially everyone's favorite germaphobe.

I love watching anime with Ruby, she always enjoys it and has the most exaggerated reactions to every little plot twist. Unfortunately, we don't get to finish, only making it to episode 20 when Yang and Weiss open the door, making me quickly pause the video and turn off the projector that is blinding them in the doorway. As Weiss walks in Ruby runs over, pouncing her girlfriend to the floor and saying 'I missed you' at a speed to rival her semblance. While Ruby is distracted, Yang walks in with the gift in hand, and tosses it over to me. I look over at the romancing couple on the floor before standing up and hiding the box between my bed and my dresser. Weiss hugging Ruby tight and looking over the hyper leader's shoulder to watch me as I stash it away.

"I missed you too, Ruby! Now let me get up you dolt! You're heavier than you look!" Weiss says, unable to stop smiling and giggling to Ruby's affection.

"No! You left me alone all day I'm not letting you go!" Ruby cries out, rejecting Weiss' demand (Which was pretty gutsy for the crimsoness). Even Yang was cracking a smile at the R &amp; W of the team while she walked over to my bookshelf and took a gaze at my scroll.

"Ooooo, Attack on Titan!" Yang says with a grin.

"You actually watch anime, Yang? Yet you keep calling it cartoons?" I ask with annoyance.

"Just like to mess with you. Plus, Attack on Titan is pretty mainstream. Oooo, did you get to the part when Annie-"

"SPOILER ALERT!" I quickly scream before Yang can continue, giving the blonde the clue that we aren't at the part she is referring to yet.

"They are in the forest, still running." I state simply, Yang nodding her head.

"Anyway," I begin, grabbing Yang's wrist and taking my scroll from her while making my way to the door with the taller woman in tow, "Let's get some dinner since it's already 6:30, I'm sure Ruby and Weiss will catch up." Yang is reluctant to leave, but at the mention that our bet is still in effect she sighs and leaves the room. Yang is a woman of her word, and has held up the bet so far. Before I close the door I look at the two girls, both of them nodding their thanks to me and with that I close the dorm room, leaving the two lovesick puppies alone for what will only be about half an hour with how fast Yang will be chowing down on her dinner just so she can get back and 'twat swat' the two of them.

* * *

Not too bad for a filler, right? Opinions as always! :D


	22. Happy Anniversary

_Now we get to find out what that gift is! Yay!_

* * *

**_POV: WEISS SCHNEE_**

**_Chapter 22 – Happy Anniversary_**

It's been hectic the past three days to say the least, with all the online searching I have been doing, on top of mending the damages done to the prom by Team CFVY. However, everything is finally back to how it should be. Last night Ruby refused to release me, even going to the extent to hug me from behind while we walked to the cafeteria (after my rants finally made her realize that I was very hungry and needed something to put into my stomach). I went the entire day without food, and I was not about to skip out on dinner, that would be by far one of the unhealthiest choices of my life. Eating dinner turned out to be a task in itself. Ruby made the mistake of sitting to my left, making it impossible for me to use my left arm to eat while she rested her head on my shoulder with a look of elation upon that innocent face of hers. I would have snapped if it weren't for the looks of adoration that Yang and Blake were giving our team leader, making me realize that Ruby was only making up for affections the past three days. I suppose it bothered me much less (being away from each other) since I was being productive and constantly moving to get gifts for Ruby and of course, my overstocking of scrunchies.

When it came time to sleep Ruby refused to let go of me still. I played along with her game and brushed my teeth with her still hugging me, however upon me walking to my bed I expected her to release me, and that was not the case.

"Ruby Rose. Your sister will kill me if you attempt to sleep in my bed." I told her.

"I told you I'm not letting go!" She scolded back at me.

Eventually Blake and Yang return to the room, looking at the two of us while I explain the situation. The two girls laughed at Ruby's determination to not let me go, and eventually compromised the situation.

I let out a soft yawn as I awake from my slumber. I look across the room to Blake and Yang who are sleeping on their respective beds. I squint and look around, waiting for my vision to sharpen when I catch sight of the digital clock in the room, and wait for the blurry red streaks to sharpen so I can see exactly what time it is.

It's only 9:30 in the morning.

For a Sunday that is far too early for any of us to even be awake, but thanks to Ruby's antics last night and the shopping trip to Vale that also took place yesterday, I was unable to stay awake anywhere past 10 O'clock. I reach down to my white blanket, pulling the soft material off of me and tossing it over my shoulder. At the same time I hear an audible groan, figuring Ruby must be getting herself awake from her own slumber above me.

As I slide my legs off the bed and begin to move my upper body so I can sit up, there is a clenching around my ribs, a clenching that hurt painfully so. I look down to see a pair of pale arms holding onto me, and when I look over my shoulder I can see Ruby is there, still wearing her casual outfit.

_That's right . . . Yang decided to allow it just this once. Even I was surprised at that, but I guess she trusts me somewhat. Or probably was awake half the night watching us._

I reach down to pry Ruby's arms off of me, but her grip is so firm and unbreakable. I can't believe that even in her sleep this little huntress was able to maintain a death grip on me that rivaled one of her sister's hugs.

"Dolt . . . wake up." I whisper while laying back down and sliding my back against Ruby, mainly for the purpose of relieving the pain I feel when I try to pull away.

"Unnngh" Ruby groans out, refusing to snap out of her sleep.

"Wake up . . . I need to use the bathroom." I lie, really I want to slip out of bed while she is still asleep and make sure her gift is nice and secure. After a few more gentle complaints I feel her grip release me, letting me slip free from the bed before she rolls over and takes my blanket with her. I sit at the edge of the bed and place my feet on the ground, rubbing my pained stomach from the vice grip I have been subject to all night.

_Free at last, free at last, thank all of Remnant I'm free at last!_

I look over my shoulder to Ruby who is already fast asleep once again. I lean over her and brush her hair from her cheek to give it a soft kiss prior to standing up and walking to Blake's bedside. I make sure to be very careful to not wake up the sleeping faunus, and reach between her bed and the dresser to grab the box I saw her hide yesterday, but there is nothing there.

_Blake put it here last night! She made sure I saw it!" _I look at the sleeping faunus, debating if I should wake her or not, or if I should wake Yang instead.

_Wait . . . am I seriously debating between waking up Blake or Yang?_

I shake my head at my own stupidity and quickly kneel down and start to gently nudge Blake without a second thought.

"Blake, Blake . . . BLAKE!" I hiss out in a low scream. I become satisfied when I see Blake's bow twitch and wiggle, the girl's eyes batting open after a few failed attempts, and finally locking onto me.

"What, Weiss?" She asks with squinted eyes both of lack of slumber, and annoyance at being awoken.

"Where's the box? I saw you put it down right here." I gesture between the bed and the dresser, Blake's eyes following where I was pointing. Blake quickly sat up, eyes going wide in surprise at the fact that the gift we purchased yesterday was not where it was placed.

"Maybe Yang moved it?" She asks.

"Possibly, but I chose to wake you up first for obvious reasons."

"Smart. Just . . . give me a moment to wake her up." Blake sighs, carefully climbing onto Yang's bed slowly, her movements graceful and well balanced. I couldn't see the bed shift, or hear it creak when she climbed on. Not wanting to see what may happen I decide to sit down on Blake's bed and wait patiently, although I was still within earshot of the situation. I would move back to my bed, but I do not want to be near Ruby since I could possibly wake her up and make things much more difficult since she would want to help find the missing item.

"Yang. Wake up."  
I hear Blake whisper, earning groans of anger from the Blonde Brawler.

"What did you say to me?" Blake growls, and then I hear a bit of shifting in the bed above, followed by louder groans. "Yang. Where is Weiss' package?"

"Nnnnnngh . . . I put it in your locker. Now let me sleeeeeeeep!" Yang almost shouts at Blake who reluctantly leaves the brawler alone and hops down the bed, landing in front of me in a crouched position, and again not making a sound.

"So, my locker it seems . . . wait, I changed my locker combination . . . One second." At that moment Blake hops back up and heavy shakes can be heard, this time Yang forced awake by what must have been a rude awakening by Blake.

"How the fuck did you know my locker combination, Yang. I changed it." Blake's tone still calm, but clearly pissed as well.

"Ugggghhhhhh! It's 4145. Your favorite volume of Ninjas of Love, and the page number you always keep bookmarked. Now let me sleep!" Yang groans once more. This time Blake hops down and lands with a soft thud.

"Great, I need to change my locker combination again. Put on your uniform or something so we can go to my locker. I'll go in my yukata, it's decent enough to wear for the short trip."

"Okay, wait for me outside the room." I reach step quietly over to my bed and opening the top drawer, forgetting that it belongs to Ruby. I am in too much of a rush and decide to grab a pair of Ruby's black jogging shorts, and a black t-shirt and quickly run into the bathroom to change out of my nightgown.

When I come out I see Blake is already out the room. I walk over to my bed and kneel down to reach underneath and pull out a pair of light-blue flats. Sliding them on and making my way out the door, being very careful to not slam it. Blake's nowhere in the hallway, so I assume she went down to the locker room, and that's exactly where I make a beeline for.

"There you are." Blake says as I enter the area while she is just opening her locker, pulling out the white box in perfect condition, much to my satisfaction.

"Is everything in there?" I ask, walking over to Blake who quickly lifts the lid off of the little gift-box and nods her head.

"Actually, it seems Yang threw something in here as well." Blake begins to chuckle, making me nervous as to what it could be. A small paper appearing from behind the lid of the box in Blake's hand. As I approach Blake turns the paper around to show a picture that was taken last night of Ruby cuddled against me while we slept. It shows the two of us spooned together, me in front, and Ruby nestled behind me in the exact way I woke up to find her. Her arms are wrapped firmly around my waist, and you can just barely make out her pale cheek and lidded eye from over my shoulder. I take the picture to look closer at it and admire it a bit more before handing it back to Blake who doesn't take it.

"There were two in here, Weiss. I guess that one's yours." Blake says while closing the box, making sure the lid is placed perfectly over to keep Ruby's gift secure.

"That . . . that barbarian." I whisper, looking at the picture while fighting back a tear.

"Well, should we get going back to the room?" Blake asks, standing up to close her locker prior to taking the gift in her arms.

"Yeah. I'll give Ruby her gift when she wakes up." I stand up and follow Blake out of the locker room to head back to our dorm.

Upon arrival I take the gift from Blake so she can open the door with her scroll (Thankfully she remembered it since I completely forgot to bring mine with me). When I walk in I see that both Yang and Ruby are still sleeping, and the time on the digital clock reads 10AM. I give a nod to Blake who goes back to lay in her own bed and sleep, and I go to sit in mine, gazing over my shoulder at Ruby who is still sleeping soundly. I reach to my dresser and grab my scroll and begin to find things to do to occupy my time while I wait. Within the hour I go through several card games, shopping catalogs, and learn of a few extra uses for dust, such as using blue dust crystals as a preservative for long periods of time, which is rather practical. Even with myself being the heiress to the largest dust company in the world, there are people out there who find new uses for it every day, whether it be as a cheaper replacement, or something slightly more effective through tinkering

I look at the top corner of my scroll, seeing it is now about 10:15, and now Yang is getting up out of bed. I look across the room at the muscle of Team RWBY while she stretches in bed. Yang was in her yellow tank-top that did well to flaunt her toned arms to the fullest. Somewhere deep in the back of my mind I had to admit that Yang does have an attractive form, but an atrocious attitude, and the malcontents she puts into her body in the form of energy drinks and alcohol made me wonder just how was she able to maintain herself.

Yang soon finishes her stretches in bed and climbs down. She looks across the room at me and smiles. She must have also noticed Ruby is still asleep since she did not yell across the room to me like she usually does.

"Got the pics I take it?" She whispers after kneeling in front of me, eyeing the box in my lap.

"I did. Thank you, Yang. It was very . . . considerate and thoughtful of you to say the least." I crack a small smile and reach an arm out to give Yang a small hug, unfortunately it is returned with a back cracking force.

"Ooops! Sorry, heheh." Yang chuckles, giving my back a small pat.

The two of us must have made a little too much noise because I can hear some rustling going on behind me. Ruby is waking up.

"I'll go back on my bed and watch the show. You picked out a perfect gift, by the way." Yang whispers and makes a half-jog to her bed. Blake now awake thanks to Yang's foot banging and realizing why Yang was rushing back to bed. I place the box down on the bed and turn to face my waking girlfriend, resting my left leg on the bed, but still having my right foot on the floor.

"Finally awake, Dolt?" I ask, doing my best to conceal my excitement and keep my stern, business tone in use.

"Very~" Ruby groans out while she stretches out on my bed and starts kicking her feet to get the covers off of her. God she is so adorable!

"At least one of us did. If you were hugging me any tighter I would have had bruised ribs." Of course I was lying when I said that, but I figured getting her a little down in would make it that much better when she opens her gift up.

"That's your fault for leaving me alone so much! Why did you keep avoiding me anyway the past three or four days, or however long it's been!?" Ruby shouts, snapping out of her sleepy state after my attempted guilt trip. Even with her yelling she still is laying down with her eyes closed.

"I had a perfectly good explanation for that I will have you know!" I retort. My response making Ruby sit up and look at me with squinted eyes, bordered between mild anger and annoyance. She couldn't hold a grudge against anybody, but she was able to show brief moments of anger.

"And what would that be, Princess?" She asks while leaning forward to give me a soft peck on the cheek, her cheery smile covering her face when she pulls back.

_Damnit, Ruby. Your morning breath is terrible!_

"Well . . ." I allow my eyes to trail away from Ruby and gaze down at the box, soon enough the little brunette following my gaze and seeing the box. Her eyes lighting up as she finally notices the rather large box on the bed. ". . . We make a week today. Happy Anniversary, Dolt."

"W-Weiss! You didn't-"

"I wanted to. Now are you going to just sit there or are you going to open it up and see what I got you?"

"Of course I'm going to open it, silly!"

I smile as Ruby pulls the box onto her lap and lifts the lid off, hiding the contents from me, but the look on her face says it all. Her lips are parted and her eyes wide. I can see her eyes goes from pure elation to tear-stricken happiness.

"Weiss you got me-"

"The picture is your sister's doing, actually."

"But, what about the other two?"

"Both me, with Blake being my second opinion."

"Weiss! I can't believe that you got me a-"

"Just shut up and kiss her already, Ruby!" I hear Yang yell from across the room. Making both of us blush, and Blake giggle.

* * *

Okay . . . I lied. You still love my story. :P

Maybe in the next chapter . . . If I'm nice!

Sorry for the late upload, was taking a break, and only got it out tonight because I told myself I'll entertain myself a little more by messing with whoever wanted to know what the gift is. I will say that two people already guessed the item(s) of the box, and I will mention them in the next chapter within the Author's Note!


	23. From an Ice Flower to a White Rose

_First off, allow me to thank everyone who has been reading thus far. I recently got over 11k views, and it has been skyrocketing since I passed the 60k mark (Which I thought it would since people tend to search for longer stories . . . I am guilty of that myself)._

_I would like to announce the two people who were able to successfully guess two of the three items within Weiss' gift box:_

_First off, Lawsonhawk guessed one of the items perfectly. He made a close guess in one of the reviews, and later messaged me with a revised thought of what it may be._

_Second is jczot made a guess of two items it could possibly be, one of them was right on the money. _

_Both of them were very accurate, and in honor of the two of them getting the correct guess, I decided to throw two new Easter Eggs into this chapter!_

_One is Videogame related, the other is anime related! When you guess, make sure to say what the easter egg is, and where it is from._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**_POV: RUBY ROSE_**

**_Chapter 23 – From an Ice Flower to a White Rose_**

My eyes shift between the three gifts sitting on red padding within the white box. I look over to Weiss, her figure becoming blurry in my view thanks to the several tears I begin to shed.

"Weiss you got me-"

"The picture is your sister's doing, actually." She cuts me off. I look down at the box and lift the picture out to look at it. Yang must have taken it with her scroll and printed it out somewhere. I bet she plans on keeping the copy in her phone to blackmail Weiss at some point. I know her well.

"But, what about the other two?" I ask, looking back down to gaze at them, but swiftly switch my glare back at my girlfriend.

"Both me, with Blake being my second opinion."

_You knew to get me this!? Weiss you really do know me well!_

"Weiss! I can't believe that you got me a-"

"Just shut up and kiss her already, Ruby!" I hear my sister yell at me. My cheeks turn red while I wipe my eyes and look off in the distance to my sister laying in her bed, on her side with her head propped up in her hand. Blake in a similar fashion below, who is also giggling at Yang's comment.

I look back down at what was bought for me. They must have cost a fortune. I gently reach down and pick up the first gift. A high-optic scope for my Crescent Rose. I slowly twirl the large cone-like shape in my hand, admiring the sturdy craftsmanship of it that could be no less than top of the line, considering the person who bought it. As I rotate it and look at the topside my heart melts at the sight. Painted perfectly in black is a giant snowflake, and more specifically Weiss' emblem. My hands begin to shake as I hold the item in my hand. It's a little heavy for a sniper scope, but I have modified Crescent Rose so many times that a slight weight change will never bother me.

I decide to look through the scope itself now, even more surprised to see Weiss' emblem within the scope, and more importantly acting as the crosshairs! The several lines of the snowflake that intersect in the middle made it a perfect marker for a target. Though there were many more items within the scope, and as I held it to my eye, my thumb dragged along a small roller that I did not see before. As I move the small knob I turn to look across the room with it. Watching as the sight of Blake's amber eye becomes larger until I can no longer see the amber ring, but only the black of the center of her eye.

"It has variable zoom! This is great!" I cry out in glee.

I become more comfortable with holding the scope, my fingers shifting to different spots of the scope while I continue to look through it, and yet another surprise takes me. Along the right side of the barrel of the scope there are three buttons. I press the first one, seeing three horizontal lines appear on the scope, and one vertical line that slices from the center of the scope to where the snowflake is, and goes straight down. The three horizontal lines having small numbers next to them, labeled from top to bottom in this order: 500, 1000, 1500. They were there to label the bullet drop of Crescent Rose, something I already memorized, but it was good to have it for reference. I play with the zoom function a little more, and gasp when the numbers start to change according to how far I am zoomed in or out.

I am far more eager to find out what the other two buttons do. I press the first button again to make the extra designs disappear, and quickly press the second. At the very top of the scope I can make out several altering numbers. As I look around they constantly change, and the two-letter abbreviation next to it doesn't help explain what that number is at all.

"W-weiss . . . What's 0.6 MPH, SE, .01m/500m mean?" I ask while slowly lowering the scope and face my girlfriend who is giggling at my question.

"Had a feeling you wouldn't know. The number before MPH just tells you the current wind speed and direction . . . SE of course means South East. The 0.1m/500m is telling you that every 500 meters your bullet will be moved .01meters Southeast because of the wind. You have a talent for telling distances, so I thought you would be able to use that since you are terrible at math."

My jaw drops at Weiss' explanation. This gift was perfect in every way. I begin to lift the scope up to my eye again, dragging my middle finger over the third button, but before I can press it Weiss snatches it from my hand and waves her finger in a 'no' motion. She turns the barrel to show me the other side, and a small switch that slides forward and backwards. The label at the front is IR, and the label at the back is NV.

"That button triggers Infrared to track heat signatures, and the other is Nightvision . . . which it is currently set to, and if you pressed that button it would have easily blinded you. Knowing this I had a safety measure installed just for that. For that button to work it must be held for approximately three seconds. I doubt you will be needing to switch the settings in the heat of battle, so I figured that delay will be no trouble."

"Weiss . . . I love it." I say while taking the scope back and placing it into the box. I will definitely be putting it on Crescent Rose next time I go get my sweetheart from her home within my locker.

"I'm glad, but you haven't given your other gift a glance . . . should I return it?" she raises an eyebrow at me. I almost thought she was serious when she said that.

"No you dummy!" I shout and reach behind me for Weiss' pillow and throwing it at the heiress' head. The soft 'poof' sound of the impact causing a pair of laughs to erupt from across the room. I quickly reach down and lift the piece of jewelry out. It's a large silver necklace with Weiss' emblem hanging from the bottom. It shines at every angle, even in the dimmest of light, and it was Weiss' way of telling the world that I was hers. I couldn't be happier!

"Dolt." She whispers after pulling the pillow off of her face. "I did get you one more thing, but it wasn't anything pricey so I decided not to put it in there."

"Y-you got me something else?" I ask, tears taking over my eyes again while I try to open the tiny hook of the necklace so I can put it on. Why these things were made so friggin small, I will never know.

"Yes I did." Weiss says, standing up and sitting next to me.

She quickly opens the hook and places it around my neck with ease . . . such a showoff.

Afterwards she goes into the box and lifts the red padding from the bottom to show what looks like giant sticker with a cutout on it. She grabs it by the edges and pushes it together to make the odd fabric shrink, and when she tugs it, then it expands, along with the letters in it.

"It's so you can place it on your weapon and spray-paint the words onto it." She explains to me. "It's nothing fancy, but you can tug the edges apart to stretch out the words and adjust it to any size you need."

Just thinking of the price of that material made me shiver. Yet Weiss was claiming it to be not so expensive . . . she is really just showing off now.

"So what do the words say? I can't see it!" I begin bouncing on the bed, a smile crossing Weiss' lips.

"I figured since you will now be the greatest marksman in Vale . . . that this would be perfect for you." Weiss holds out the sticker to me, allowing me to read the cutout words out loud.

"The Last Thing You Never See" I read, starting to smile and giggle at how awesome that sounds!

"It will become very accurate . . . just like you."

"Weiss!" I cry out, pouncing onto my girlfriend and sending the two of us off the bed and onto the floor.

"Ugh! You dolt! That hurt! Could have ju-" Weiss starts to complain, but I cut her off with a sudden kiss.

"I can kiss it better too." I whisper at a blushing Weiss.

Words could not explain how happy I am right now, but deep in the back of my mind I feel a sadness forming. A realization that I am going out with a woman two years older than me. Someone far more mature, and has no problems financially. She is caring in every way, excels at academics, and is far more capable at being away from me for a little while, as compared to myself who was called a 'lovesick puppy' by Yang several times over. Weiss is amazing in every way, even though she is a bit distant. Even with that I still grow more affectionate with her. Her boredom during Port's class, her obsession with looking 100% every single day, how cold her body is and the way her fingers caress my cheeks when we kiss, and the way she kisses me in general are just out of this world! But . . . what happens if I can't return all of her affections? I'm only 16, middle-class at best, and I'm sure she worries at what may happen when it gets out that 'Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company' is going out with someone of low social standings. I don't want to lose Weiss. I refuse to lose Weiss. I'll show her today that I'm perfect for her! I need to.

"Ruby?"

I shake my head, working myself out of my daze and smiling down at Weiss. I must have spaced out for a minute or two.

"H-huh?" I respond, still trying to resettle myself back in reality.

"You just totally zoned out on me. Yang is in the bathroom brushing her hair, and Blake took off to go get breakfast. What happened?" She asks me while sitting up, making me kneel over her lap.

"Nothing, Princess. Just can't express how much I like these gifts . . . I mean . . . I could never afford even one of these things and . . ."

"You have no idea how you will match it?" Weiss interrupts, my eyes widening at how easy she was able to read my thoughts. I turn my head away and give a small nod, a sigh echoing in my ear from Weiss' disapproval of my answer.

"Ruby, I don't expect you to. It's impossible to, is actually a better way to say it. As a matter of fact, your reaction is one of the reasons I know that you care for me." I turn my head to look at Weiss, confusion written on my face, but she smiles nonetheless.

"I don't follow" I answer, deciding to shift off of my knees and carefully sit in Weiss' lap while still facing my heiress. I place my hands on her shoulders and wrap my legs around her waist, bringing our bodies closer, but not pressed together. I shiver when her cold fingers brush over my waist, and slide into my shirt to rest at my hips.

"You don't just accept gifts from me, Ruby. You want to find ways to surpass them and give me the same value in return. You want to surpass what you are capable of doing to make me happy. You're completely selfless, and you look at me as Weiss Schnee, not as a rich heiress . . . which is more than I can say for the several suitors my father has tried to set me up with." I clench onto her shoulders at the mention of suitors. The thought of some snobby rich kid coming near my Weiss began to eat away at my heart. She's _MY_ princess, and nobody else will take her from me.

"Well you don't need to worry about that anymore, Weiss. After all, you're here in Beacon, and have all of us to look after you." I whisper and plant a gentle kiss on her cheek, trying to up the mood of the conversation a little.

"And I value that to no end, Ruby." Weiss answers, tugging me in close for a hug before gently sliding me from her lap so she can stand up.

"Yang! Blake never takes long to eat. I'm going to need that bathroom for about ten minutes when she gets back!" Weiss shouts to the locked door. I watch her as she sits down on her bed and begins to undo her French braid. I walk over and seat myself next to her with a smile on my face.

"Doing your hair up differently for the dance?"

"Of course, with my outfit I doubt it will be sufficient to go with a hairstyle I use on a daily basis."

"Well, there's not much I can do with my hair . . . just give it a little more brushing I guess. Actually!" I shout and stand up to dash out the door and begin banging on the door to Team JNPR's room.

"Just a minute!" I can hear Nora's voice call out, but it is Ren who opens the door with his pink eyes observing me a moment prior to step aside and allowing me in.

The moment I enter I fall onto the floor and start dying of laughter at the sight I am put subject to – Jaune trying on a dress. I heard from Yang what happened with the bet, but I was not expecting Pyrrha to really be focused on assisting Yang with the torture. Pyrrha was very into it and tracing around Jaune, checking every part of the outfit to make sure it fit perfectly. It was a white, strapless dress with a frilly skirt that goes down to his knees, and to bring it together was a light-blue sash that went around his waist. It was pretty nice looking, but it was the last thing I'd ever expect to see Jaune wearing.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, Crater Face." Jaune snaps at me with an annoyed touch to his voice on top of what he would call 'soul crushing regret'.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry but . . .from Vomit Boy to this . . ." I try to hold my breath to choke away my laughter, but soon it takes over again and I begin rolling on the floor, clenching my pained ribs from laughing so hard. "Okay, okay! I'm better. Actually I came here for Nora." I say while standing up

"Pancakes!" I hear a shout coming from the bathroom door with Nora's head popping out from it.

"Ummmm . . . no pancakes. I just need you to wash a belt for me with your famous Nora cycle. Can I bring it to you in like . . . 5 minutes?" Nora gives a quick nod and disappears back behind the door.

"Ruby, need I remind you that Nora's 'cycle' will turn whatever you give her completely white?" Ren says while moving to stand next to me.

"That's exactly what I want . . . oh, and do you have any white hair-dye I can use? I want to paint my tips white for the dance, to go with the sash."

"Hm, going with a different color scheme to go with the gift Weiss gave you?"

"How did you know Weiss got me a gift?" I ask, looking at Ren with squinted eyes.

"I saw the necklace on you when I answered the door, Ruby. It's pretty bright and hard to miss." He adds. "Anyway, I am guessing you want to sneak the sash over here while Weiss is unaware, so I will give you my scroll to get into the room and leave it here for Nora if you can't get it here right away."

"T-that's nice of you, Ren! But I don't want you to be locked out of the room." I begin scratching the back of my head.

"Do you think I go anywhere without Nora being far behind? She always has her scroll, so no worries." He smiles at me and reaches into the pocket of his green shirt, pulling out his scroll and handing it to me. I give Ren my thanks and quickly leave the room. When I go back into my team's dorm Weiss is done taking out her French braid, and Blake is back, laying down on her bed and surprisingly not reading.

"Nice of you to come back, Ruby. What was that sudden burst of speed for?" Weiss asks me while she takes out the final braid and gives a wild shake of her head, allowing her hair to spread out and gently fall down her back and over her shoulders. She had such an innocent look with her hair down.

"Oh~ ummmm. Just wanted to see if Pyrrha could find something to do with my hair. No luck." I answer, going back to sit next to Weiss.

"You don't need to do anything special, Ruby. You are flawless just as you are." Weiss smiles at me, running a hand over my cheek. I close my eyes and trap the hand between my cheek and my shoulder, nuzzling into it with a smile on my face.

"Thanks, your Majesty." I joke, looking up at Weiss who shakes her head, but still smiles.

"That makes you the royal jester." She counters, making me puff my cheeks up. I am about to complain, but at the same time the bathroom door opens. In a flash Weiss is on her feet and walking in with two light-blue scrunchies on her wrists, Blake not far behind. The door closes, and I am now left in a room with Yang who straightened out her hair, but also adjusted her bangs to curl down and cover her left eye and cheek, somewhat like that cartoon character Jessica Rabbit, but of course you could see through Yang's bangs somewhat, especially her brightly-colored eyes.

_Wait, let me bring that to Nora now that I have the chance._

"Be right back, Yang!" I say while running to the closet and opening it up to find both my dress and Weiss' sitting next to each other. I carefully untie the large black sash that sits around the waist of the outfit and place it over my shoulder.

"Last second changes, Rubes?" Yang asks, watching me the entire time while she goes into the closet on the other side of the room (That her and Blake shared) to get her dress out and lay it on her bed. It looked really nice, a yellow dress with spaghetti straps, the top was relatively low for most people, but for Yang it was perfect. Imagining the fit I bet it would be showing off her cleavage, just like she liked to do. Around the waist there is a black belt, similar to mine, but it appears to be sewn in while mine I could remove. As the outfit goes down to the skirt portion it can be assumed that the skirt will go down to Yang's mid-thigh. That's actually pretty modest for Yang, but it is a prom so I can understand.

"Yup! Don't mention it!" I tell my sister and dart out the room. I use the scroll Ren gave me to open the door and upon entry I freeze. Jaune has one hand on his hip, a slight twist to his wrists, and another hand raised in the air. He is perfectly posing like some sort of model and I can't help but to take a quick picture with the scroll. The flash and sound making everyone look at me and laugh, except for Jaune who begins blushing up a storm.

"H-hey! Get rid of that!" He shouts at me. I quickly enter and close the door to avoid anyone else seeing Jaune like this.

"Don't worry, it's Ren's scroll." I reassure while tossing the scroll onto the nearest (Pyrrha's) bed.

"Oooo, is that what you want me to clean for you, Ruby?" I look to my right to see Nora exiting the bathroom.

"Mhm. I want it to be as clean as your favorite shirt!" I shout gleefully

"A-okay! You're sash will look as clean as my shirt!" Nora responds, taking the sash and hauling it over her shoulder before dashing out of the room to the laundry area of Beacon, but not before grabbing Ren and dragging her quiet, pink-eyed partner along. Nora has a bad habit of using too much bleach, and with the addition of whatever other chemical she uses it turns anything to a snow-white color. It is exactly what I want to be done.

"Anyway, I will be going back to my room. Hope to see you at the dance, Pyrrha, and you as well Miss Arc."

"Damnit Ruby!" Jaune shouts at me while I run out the room and slam the door shut.

I stand out in the hallway, beginning to daydream of Weiss' reaction to me having white tips in my hair instead of red, and the black sash changed to white instead.

_It will be perfect! I'm sure Weiss will love it! Her favorite color IS white after all. Maybe I'll keep it white if she likes it enough._

I smile to myself, proud of my idea and go back into the room.

"Ruby's back, you two!" Yang shouts when she sees me come in.

"Okay, Yang. Hold her still." I can hear Blake's voice from the bathroom.

"Huh? What's going on?" I ask, Yang walking up to me and gently wrapping her arms around me.

"Just come sit with me, Rubes." She tells me, although since she was already holding me I had little to no choice. Yang carries me to Weiss' bed, sitting me down on her lap with her arms almost crushing my ribs.

"Y-yang! Too tight!" I groan out. She loosens her grip, but not that much. "W-why so tight?"

"For Weiss' protection."

"But . . . why would I hurt Weiss?"

"Because-" Yang begins, but is interrupted by the sound of the bathroom door opening, "of that."

I turn my head from Yang to the bathroom door, my eyes going wide when I see Weiss standing with Blake behind her. The usual, confident face of my girlfriend gone and replaced by a huge blush, a nervous posture, and a look in her eyes as if she was about to cry out in embarrassment. I feel as if something is different about her, but I can't tell. I squint my eyes, barely able to make the contrast of her nightgown, pale skin, and hair, but when I am able to my jaw drops. Weiss has her hair set in two twintails, each one going down over her shoulder in a mirror image of the other. Blake begins to twirl Weiss, letting me see how it looks from the side, and spot the part in Weiss' hair in the back, along with the light-blue scrunchies tightly placed. Weiss was completely symmetrical now, and I loved it! Blake turns Weiss back to face me, her face a darker shade of red than before.

"I . . . t-thought that you . . . w-w-would like . . . t-twintails" She stammers out and looks away.

"Y-yang, let me go~!" I whine, trying to pry my sister's arms off of me. I have a deep love for twin tails, and seeing them on Weiss has just set off a bomb inside me. I begin to struggle and scratch at my sister's arms, who tightens her grip and makes me cough, forcing my efforts to stop unless I want my ribs to be crushed.

"Weiss will go over to you, Little Red . . . I just was not sure how much you obsess over them . . . last thing I need is Weiss going to the hospital because you used your semblance and pounced her." I suppose Blake was right . . . That was exactly what I had planned.

When I see Weiss begin to walk over with clear bashfulness written all over her face I begin to smile brighter and brighter. Her hands are in front of her, fingers interlaced in one of the cutest ways I have ever seen. When she becomes only two feet from me she leans down, staring at me with her soft blue eyes. I can feel sparks flying between her stare and my own. I reach up with both hands, playing with her twintails and smiling at how soft and smooth her hair is.

"I love them, Weiss." I whisper, Yang's grip having calmed me down substantially (mainly because I liked my ribs the shape they already were!). I reach up to cup my girlfriend's cheek, her eyes softening even further in response to my touch.

"R-really?" She asks, starting to smile a little bit.

"Mhm~ almost as much as you." I finish, pulling her in to plant a gentle kiss on her lips, although when she tries to pull back I refuse to let her go. Her attempts to tug herself away continue, along with muffled words leaving her lips, but I don't want to hear a bit of it. I pull Weiss firmly onto my lap, snaking an arm around her waist, and the other going to the back of her neck to keep the kiss going strong. I can feel her body shaking in my embrace. I love her so much! Just as I begin to part my lips, starting to run my tongue along her soft, cold lips, I am receive an awkward reminder as to why Weiss was struggling to pull away from me earlier.

"Rubes . . . You're still on my lap."

I gasp, letting go of Weiss who jumps back, almost falling on the floor if Blake didn't catch her.

"S-s-sorry, Yang!" I cry out in complete embarrassment. I feel Yang's grip release my rips, and I carefully stand up, looking behind me at my slowly rising sister.

"It's fine, Rubes . . . she's your girlfriend, but just don't go tongue whipping when I'm right behind you . . . Nothing I haven't seen before, but your still my lil sis . . . it's awkward. Anyway," Yang puts her hands on my shoulders and tugs me in close to whisper to my ear, "I'll give you a free pass for today . . . don't waste it."

"Wait, what?" I ask while my sister stands up and begins walking away. "W-what's that mean!?"

"You'll find out, Rubes. Don't worry." Yang reassures me, but reassure is the last it did. I am now scared to go to prom, but when I look at Weiss and see her with twintails, I can't help but purr at the perfect symmetry she now has. My thoughts return to their haze, I want to hold Weiss forever, I want to show her just how much I care, but I know I will have my chance soon, I just hope it comes by soon enough.

_I can't wait for prom today._

* * *

This has been my longest chapter by far, coming out to 4,700 words (prior to Author's notes).

I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I put a lot in here and would love some more feedback on it . . . at least you know what the gift is now xD I stalled at the beginning of the chapter just to mess with you all.

Any and all feedback is welcome, just don't go saying something like:

"When I saw the chapter was in Jaune's POV I skipped it"

Swear, I got a message like that and laughed my little ass off.


	24. An UnWeiss Decision

_Well, I am glad everyone is enjoying the story so far, though I am debating what I should do about what happens after what I like to call 'The Prom Arc' I am debating between doing things day by day, or making a time skip to early December to begin 'The Christmas Arc' Where I will carry things out in detail like I have done for the past 23 chapters. Give me your opinion on what I should do out of those two, please. :)_

_Anyway, without further delay! Here is Chapter 24 . . . and that Chapter title . . . GOD DAMNIT BARB_

* * *

**_POV: WEISS SCHNEE_**

**_Chapter 24 – An UnWeiss Decision_**

Words cannot express how relieved I am after knowing that my gifts for Ruby, and my adapted hairstyle for the dance have brought her so much happiness. I can't wait for the dance in all honesty. Yang and I spent the second half of yesterday making sure everything is setup perfectly. There is nothing better in my eyes than to see something come together with as much work and effort that Yang and I put into it.

It's been several hours since the revealing of my twintails to Ruby, and although she has settled down some, she has taken every chance to play with them. Whether it be to brush my hair and assure that there is not a single tangle or split end anywhere, to tapping them with her fingers like a cat when it receives a new hanging feather toy. As of now I am sitting on my bed and looking through my scroll to assure that everything is taken care of. I asked for the assistance from Pyrrha to make sure all the tables were set and in order, most likely she would be taking help from Jaune, and I also took the liberty of 'volunteering' the assistance of Sun and Neptune since Jaune is not the most muscular of people to be assisting Pyrrha should furniture need to be moved, or more chairs gathered.

"Having fun, Ruby?" I ask while turning my head to see the childish brunette still brushing fingers through my hair and messing around with one of my identical ponytails.

"Mhm!" she replies, somehow managing to get herself lost in that little world of hers. I will never understand how she does it.

I return my attention to the scroll, getting a message from Pyrrha that everything is going well so far, and it seems everything is in place with little adjustments needing to be made with table placements and finally gathering the drinks. I look across the room to see the bathroom door open and Yang standing at the sink, fixing the rest of her outfit with assistance from the mirror above the sink, and Blake standing behind Yang, combing out the massive blonde mane one final time. Blake and Yang are both dressed, Yang sporting her yellow spaghetti strapped dress with the black sash going around her midsection. Blake in in her light-purple dress. The solid black fabric of the dress making the outfit strapless, but over her shoulders and deltoids is a porous, fishnet type of fabric that keeps her shoulders covered, but still seeable. Along the right side of her outfit going from her right thigh and down to the end of a skirt is a cut, allowing more of her right leg to show than her left. While I look at their outfits, I begin to remember something. I am not dressed, and neither is Ruby.

"Ruby, I think we should start getting ready. It's roughly an hour until the starting time."

"Oh, I uh, actually have to wait for Nora. She said she knows what she can do with my hair to spruce it up a little." Ruby says, an overly enthusiastic smile on her face.

"Ruby, you are trusting Nora of all people with your hair?"

"Not completely, Ren will be there to avoid any disasters!" Ruby ceases to play with my twintail and stands up. I watch her as she goes into the closet and comes out with her dress draped over her forearm. "I'll go see if she's there. I'll take care of everything over there and meet you at the party, Weiss! No problem."

Before I can object, I see Ruby dart out the door, and within seconds is in Team JNPR's room after being greeted at the door by Ren.

_What am I going to do with that girl? I wanted to walk with her and all, but it seems she already made up her mind to meet me there . . . oh well._

I let out a soft sigh, feeling a slight emptiness fill me without Ruby being nearby. Having her obsess over my new hairstyle was cute at first, then it turned to a minor annoyance to which I also found cute, and now without her here I feel a void. I did this just for her, and I was hoping it would keep her glued to me all night, but it seems things will not work out like that.

_Alright, let's not dwell on it, Weiss. Let's get dressed and get moving. You need to be there early, you are co-hosting the event after all._

I walk over to our (Ruby and I's) closet to fetch my dress. It's somewhat similar to Blake's being that it has the same fishnet material over the shoulders, but instead of a light-purple, mines is completely white, and has a flowing skirt that goes down to my knees. Since Blake and Yang are still in the bathroom, I left with no choice but to dress next to my bed. To avoid having Ruby enter the room, and more importantly open the door and grant anyone passing by a sight of me while I am exposed, I move myself near the wall to hide myself from sight of the doorway, doing my best to change out of Ruby's tanktop and shorts (I am surprised she never questioned me about wearing since I rushed them on in the morning to go get my gift for her from Blake's locker) and into my dress. It doesn't take me too long to get my dress and matching white flats on, but the ultimate debate to me becomes whether I should wear my earrings or not. I already planned on wearing my necklace to match the one I got for Ruby, but now that I think on it, I really don't have any earrings that will match with Ruby since she does not like jewelry that much.

_Ugh! How could you be so stupid, Weiss!? Ruby doesn't like jewelry and one of the things you get her is a necklace!? Are you dumb or something? You should know better than that! No wonder she didn't pay much attention to it._

I begin scolding myself about my mess up, beating myself constantly at the fact that Ruby may not have liked the gift I got her as much as she made it out to be. Before I can get any harder on myself I am snapped back into reality by the voice of Yang.

"Weiss, come on, twenty minutes till the party, we gotta get going now, where's Ruby?"

"She said she will meet us there, she's getting her hair fixed up." Yang nods at my answer and gives a shrug of her shoulders,

"If that's the case then we gotta trust that she'll be there on time. Let's go!" Yang shouts with overexcitement. She reaches out and grabs me by the wrist, tugging me along out the door with Blake walking next to us.

_Ruby, where are you?_

I ask in my head, looking over my shoulder at the doors of Teams RWBY and JNPR, watching as they shrink the further the three of us walk away. I let out a heavy sigh prior to facing forward and walking at pace with Yang.

"Alright, Yang. You can let go of my wrist now. I'm following." I whisper to her in clear annoyance, although it was a charade to hide the fact that her grip was hurting my wrist greatly.

"Oops, sorry Weiss." Yang says while letting go of my wrist, allowing me to move my hand and flex it to relieve the built up tension. "Just needed to get you away from the room. Knowing how you can be when it comes to Ruby, you would have sat there and waited for her to come back. I bet you wanted your every second at the party to be with her, huh?"

_Damn Yang. She is the last person I want to be able to know my thought process._

"Not at all, I just wanted to make sure her outfit is on properly. Just because there will only be Beacon students attention and a select few students who have come from the other Kingdoms for the Vytal Festival, it does not mean she should have a poor appearance is all." That was a downright lie. I wanted to walk in with Ruby next to me. To have her see and hopefully be impressed by the combined efforts of her sister and I. I have always praised Ruby for her amazing combat prowess and leadership skills, and today may have been the day I would have received some acknowledgement from my girlfriend that I am effective at something that is not education related, or something that I can use my family connections to achieve.

"And just when I thought you were moving away from the title of Ice Queen." Yang groans out, not too fond of my answer, or she knew very well that I was lying through my teeth.

When we arrive at the campus building that was renovated for the prom, I look at the large clock tower that can be seen far across campus, noting that we made it just on time for the event to start, but also that Ruby was nowhere to be found.

"Blake, go on ahead, Weiss and I need to take care of something." I can hear Yang dismiss Blake while I am still gazing at the clock. I get a slight startle when I feel a heavy hand land on my shoulder, and when I turn my head to see who it is, I am not surprised to see the smiling blonde.

"Weiss, if you keep stressing out, then what will happen when Ruby gets here? You'll be burned out and won't enjoy the evening. Look, come inside, meet me upstairs on the overpass and we'll watch the door for Ruby, alright? I'll get you some punch." Yang gives me a wink, patting my shoulder before going through the large doorway and disappearing behind the crowd of Beacon students that will only be growing while the evening progresses.

_She's right, Weiss. Enjoy yourself . . . it's your first prom at Beacon._

I take a deep breath and begin making my way inside, taking one last peek over my shoulder to see if I spot Ruby anywhere, but no luck. As I enter I look around to see that everything has been setup perfectly. Several, long, rectangular tables are setup with vast amounts of beverages and chips. There are several round tables off to the sides of the room for people to sit and chat with their friends. Straight ahead of me I can see the upstairs balcony that grants a perfect overlook on the entire party. That is where Yang and I would be should the need for an announcement arises. To the left and right walls are two massive staircases that lead up to the balcony. Should someone walk straight and travel underneath the balcony and continue their way to the next room, they will eventually end up on the back patio where there are several more tables for people who require a breath of fresh air – something Coco never accounted for.

I turn to my right, deciding to make my way towards one of the two staircases and wait for Yang while I watch the door for Ruby, however as I begin to walk I am stopped by a familiar voice.

"Hey, Snow Angel." I can hear the chilled voice of Neptune call out. I look over my shoulder, my eyes flashing over his outfit. He is wearing a white undershirt with a nice black jacket that has several orange linings on it. A shade of orange that matches well with his bowtie, and those goggles he seems to favor.

_Why are you wearing those goggles on your forehead at a prom you imbecilic?_

I shake my head. My inner voice is a bit more hostile, but I am sure it is because I just miss Ruby. I turn around, smiling at him and reaching over my shoulders to pull my twintails out in front like they are supposed to be.

"Hello, Neptune. Thank you for helping last minute. Speaking of which, where is Sun?" I ask, gazing about the room for the money faunus. Not that I desired to see him at all, I just needed to find some sort of conversation to help hold me over and kill time.

"Oh, he saw Blake and decided to go try to hit things off with her. Guy is head over heels for her." Neptune says with a chuckle in his voice, at the same time brushing his right hand through his sea-blue hair and passing me a toothy grin.

"Well, I hope he gets over her soon. I honestly do not think he is Blake's type." I get a brief memory of Ruby talking to Blake that one night. The night Ruby and I noticed Blake giving Yang a kiss on the cheek, and having a hickey on her neck.

"Ouch, don't need to throw him under the bus like that."

"It's not that, I am Blake's teammate, and after a while I feel I can tell the type of people she would be into."

"Oh? And what kind of guy would Blake be into?" Neptune asks with a quirk of an eyebrow.

_A 'guy' with breasts, long blonde hair, short temper, and a killer right cross_

"I think someone a little more . . . jovial I suppose."

_Actually, that fits Yang rather well._

"Sun has his moments, but I guess I see what you mean. I'm sure he'll wow Blake by the time the night is over." Neptune smiles once more at me, "Anyway, would you like a drink or anything? I could run over and get you one."

_You're a week too late on your advances, Neptune._

"No, thank you. Yang is already getting me one, as a matter of fact I can see her upstairs with my drink. I'll see you later, Neptune." I say to him while I am already starting to walk to the stairs again. I make my way up the several steps, and follow the banister to Yang who is leaning against it and overlooking the entire party with a smile on her face. She is holding two cups of punch, one already half empty, and the other filled almost to the brim.

"So, how hard was Neptune trying?" Yang asks without looking in my direction, and instead holds out her arm to me with the filled cup extended. I carefully take it from her hand and let out a soft giggle at her question.

"I didn't give him a chance, but I should be asking how hard is Sun trying. I hear he is trying to dazzle Blake before the evening is over." I lean against the banister, facing the crowd below. I can feel a slight warmth radiate to my right, but only for a moment. It seems my comment has Yang a little jealous.

"Blake's not so easy to dazzle." Yang says rather bluntly, and she was right in that regard. Blake was never someone to be easily impressed by much of anything, and even Sun would have an extremely difficult time getting under the tough exterior Blake puts on to most.

"Yes, I suppose you're right, Yang." I whisper, taking a sip of the punch she gave me, but after I swallow I start to cough, a slight burning sensation starting to make itself known in my throat, along with a light buzz etching into my head. "Y-yang, did you-?"

"Spike your punch? Nope. I spiked the entire bowl." Yang flashes a grin at me, before chugging the second half of her cup down without so much as a flinch. "I didn't put too much, just enough that will let the first few sips put everyone in a relaxed mood."

"Yang! We could get in serious trouble for this!" I growl.

"Port was supposed to supervise the event, the only person that will stop by is Ozpin, and we all know that he will just pop in, see everyone is having a nice time, take a sip of his coffee from that mug of his, and then disappear."

"And how do you know that will be the case? Yang points straight ahead of us to the doorway. When I look at where she is pointed I can see Professor Ozpin sipping from the porcelain mug he carries around with him. After standing at the doorway for roughly half a minute he turns around and disappears from our sight shortly after.

"See what I mean? Weiss, you need to lighten up. I take things day by day, and I know that's not your style, but sometimes you need to forget about everything else and live in the moment. If you keep stressing like you are, then you will be even more stressed by the time Ruby shows up, and you will end up ruining her evening because she will not forgive herself for being late and having you in a bad mood on what is supposed to be a happy and carefree night. Do you want that?" I look at Yang who is staring at me with a serious, yet softened look to the stares I am use to receiving from her. I give a shake of my head before looking forward once more.

"I don't want that, Yang. You know that." I whisper in a mildly defeated tone.

"Good, then just relax. Finish that cup, if you want another I will happily get you one, but I will be here to make sure nothing crazy happens, alright? Finish at least one cup . . . if not to calm your nerves for yourself, then do it for Rubes."

I look down at the cup in my hand, swirling the liquid in it as I debate on taking another sip.

_Live in the moment? I don't need to live in the moment! _

_. . . But it's for Ruby. I don't want to get even more anxious and ruin her night when she arrives. Yang did say she will be here for me. She's my teammate after all . . . I can trust her, right? After all, her and I share one important thing . . . we both want Ruby happy._

I smile to myself, lifting the cup to my lips to take another sip. Whether this will be a mistake I make blinded by love, or something that will draw me to enjoying the evening is still a mystery, but as the burning sensation fills my throat a second time, I can feel Yang gently patting my back and smiling towards me.

"Don't worry, Weiss. You and Ruby are going to have the best prom night ever."

* * *

To trust or not to trust . . . that is the question. Yang . . . you better hope Weiss can hold her alcohol!

Leave me your reviews as usual guys and gals :) And again, thank you for your support! I know this is a late submission x.x and I'm sorry for that!


	25. Falling Petals in an Angry Rose Garden

_Surprise! Early chapter :D and as I am sure you already see, it is a mystery pov! OOoOOOoooOOOooo._

_Well, the Prom Arc is slowly coming to an end, but let's see what kind of trouble we can get into before then! Enjoy the chapter!_

_As always, leave me your reviews. I am not so sure I pegged this character's personality perfectly . . . (s)he's not an easy one to get into the head of x.x_

* * *

**_POV: ?_**

**_Chapter 25 – Falling Petals in an Angry Rose Garden_**

_"One of the student lockers has been deployed near your location. You have approximately 50 seconds to get out of there."_

"If it's a student, then I have nothing to fear, darling. I will carry things through until the end, just as planned."

I smile tapping the small intercom within my ear, killing communications between myself and my little partner in crime. I gaze down at the two unconscious forms at my feet. Sitting within the small confines of this slowly-rising elevator that is bringing me to the top of the Cross Continental Transmit (CCT) Tower.

"Hm…" I lower down to a knee, spotting one of the scrolls of the guard's out, and on a screen that is currently displaying available wifi signals. I grasp the small device, bringing it closer to my face so I may look at it. After scanning the screen for a moment, I now know the password for Beacon's wifi. As quickly as I took down the two guards in the elevator, I drop the now the useless scroll in an even more timely fashion.

"Let's see…" I reach into the small pocket of my skin-tight black pants, next to another pocket that keeps as a large amount of red dust in case of any confrontation that requires my semblance. I tug one of my gloves off, making it easier to use my thumb on the touchpad. I open up the wifi tab, finding the Beacon Campus wifi and quickly entering the newly discovered password

_b3acon#_

As my scroll starts to connect I place my glove back on and snap my head towards the elevator door when I hear a small ringing sound, indicating I am at my stop. At the same time my scroll vibrates, letting me know I now have the wifi saved.

"Hm . . . that's handy." I say to myself while the elevator door opens and I proceed straight ahead, gazing at the several rows and columns of computers, but the one I want is the very first one I come across; the main console. I sit myself down in the large, cushioned chair, placing my scroll on a small pad near the monitor that is used for data transfers while I quickly search for what I need.

_Let's see . . . let's see . . . Here we go . . . Schnee Dust Company cargo transportation schedule. Excellent_

I waste no time pressing a button on the console to begin the transfer of data onto my scroll, along with leaving a small bug within the system to give me access to whatever else I will be needing from the database. I can hear the rest of the machines scattered throughout the room begin to light up in response to the master computer being used. It takes all but 10 seconds to get all the data I need, placing my scroll into the secure pocket on my thigh, and standing up to make my leave. That is of course, until I hear the elevator door open and make it a point to lower myself behind the counter just as a precaution until I know who it was that had the lack of common sense to continue through a trail of unconscious bodies.

"Hello~?" I hear a squeaky little voice call out. I peek over the desk carefully, looking at a relatively short girl with black hair and white tips. It was a lovely combo to say the least, but it did not seem to be what she would normally carry. She's wearing what I would consider a semi-casual red dress, complete with a white sash to compliment her hair color well, but in her arms I spot what reminds me of our confrontation many, many months ago when Roman was thwarted during his robbery of From Dust Till Dawn. The useless prick.

"Anybody there?" I hear that voice call out again. I definitely knew this girl now, a slightly different hair color does wonders for throwing a person off, but that innocent melody in her voice, and that giant Scythe in her hand reminded me just who she was, and how skilled she most likely is, but nonetheless, I know I can take her, and that is all that matters.

"Shouldn't you be at the dance, my little Rose?" I whisper with a husky strain on the word 'dance'. I do not raise myself from my hiding place, and the high ceiling of the room made my voice echo plenty to hide my location well.

"Yes, I should be!" I can hear a snarl in her voice, "I should be there with someone very close to me, but after seeing you running along the rooftops I couldn't ignore it!"

_Hmmm . . . Cinder Fall, you're getting sloppy._

"Well, then. Let's strike a deal." I purr, standing up and exposing where I am. I step out into view of the Scythe-wielding girl, my left hand resting on my hip, and my right hand hanging at my thigh, resting near a small pouch with red dust sitting within. "I'll quietly make my exit . . . and you can go back to your party. No fight, no questions, no hassle."

"We both know it doesn't work like that . . . now take off the mask, I don't have time for this!" She snarls again. I remember seeing her as a far more optimistic girl, but she seems all business, and in a rush to get to the dance. I wonder what is at that dance, or rather 'who' is at that dance to have her in such a state. I'm sure I'll find out when I rendezvous with Emerald and Mercury.

"Sorry, dear. I'm actually quite . . . fond of this mask, but maybe I'll see you around." I slowly move my middle finger along the pouch to open it without the little reaper in front of me noticing my slight movement. At the slight click of the pouch being opened I slowly curl my fingers, causing about half of the dust I keep inside to rise out and begin to crystalize itself into several extremely thin shards.

"You're not going anywhere! Take the mask off NOW!" She screams, then undoes the safety switch on her weapon and chambers her bullet.

"I told you . . . I'm quite attached to it. Now, if you're not going to shoot, I will gladly make the first move." Without giving the girl a chance to react I flick my index and middle fingers violently towards the girl, the barely visible shards approaching her within an instant. I created 8, and they did their job perfectly. Two going into her thighs, calves, upper arms, and forearms."

"A-ah!" I hear the girl scream out and take a quick shot at me with her Gun-Scythe.

_Still able to do that, eh?_

I whisper to myself, slightly impressed. I lift my hand up, incinerating the bullet before it can even reach me, and now gesture my open palm towards this girl. The orange lining of my stealthy attire begins to glow, along with the ring of my amber eyes. The 8 impaled shards light up, heating themselves within her flesh where they are, making her wince in pain and drop her weapon, my shards just temporarily paralyzed each of her limbs.

I point my index and middle fingers towards her now, slowly curling them towards me. The motion making each shard slowly pull from her flesh, not leaving a single mark or scar. She may have been a slight annoyance, but we don't want her showing up to prom with burn marks, now do we?

"I should kill you now Red, but every girl deserves a happy prom night. You'll be able to move in the next 30 seconds. So, like I said earlier . . . I'll see you around." I smile, looking at the distress in her eyes, or relief as it appears now that she knows I won't kill her and be done with it. I walk up to the window on the far side of the room, quickly carving the 8 shards into the glass and rotating them to cut a large hole in the glass so I can kick it and jump outside the window. The high decent from the top floor of the CCT Tower becomes nothing more than a feather landing when I form two blades in my hands and jam them into the wall, slowing me down until I am no more than a couple of yards above. I make my blades disappear, landing quietly on the ground, but now I needed to do a little patch work. I open the pouch on my other hip, gesturing to send un-crystalized dust up to the two long gashes my blades made within the wall. I set the red dust inside the cracks and let out a slow exhale while I focus on my semblance, the dust heating up and melting the gashes shut, making it appear as it did prior to my vandalism.

My next step is changing my outfit. With a practiced motion of my hands, I can hear a small chiming sound, followed by a dim orange glow around my body when my catsuit is changed into a formal, black evening gown. To complete my shift to incognito, I take off the lovely mask I have grown to admire, and crush it within my hand, leaving the remains on the ground. I tap my earpiece, turning it back on and begin to speak.

"Emerald, it's done. I'm on my way back, but do me a favor . . . keep an eye out for a girl with black hair and white tips."

_"Black hair and white tips? I don't think I've seen a girl with black hair and white tips in Beacon."_

"Emerald . . . don't think . . . obey"

I tap the earpiece to turn it off. To avoid any accidental encounters I take a small stroll, taking the long walk towards the edge of the large area, and then following the walls of the buildings to get to the prom area. My detour turning a two minute walk into ten minutes, which is just what I wanted.

The moment I walk through the large doorway I am greeted to the sight of several students slow dancing. Some appearing to have two left feet. Other students are seated along the several round tables cascaded with white, and out the corner of my eye I can make out a set of mint green hair and a set of silver hair not too far apart.

_There you are._

I shimmy my way through the crowd, keeping the two sets of hair in my sights until I begin to see the bodies they are attached to. The mint hair cascading over the red eyes and ebony flesh of a relatively short girl. That's Emerald Sustrai. The silver-haired boy dancing with her is Mercury Black, a sarcastic, overconfident ass, but those character traits are irrelevant. He has done the two things I required of him, that being his loyalty, and to simply obey my commands.

"Mind if I cut in?" I whisper while approaching the two. Emerald making quick to step from Mercury. As she departs I tap my earpiece to leave it on for now.

"Keep an eye out for that girl, Emerald."

"_Understood"_

"And how's your night been?" Mercury asks with that trademark smirk of his.

"Hm . . . A little more . . . exciting than expected." A smile crosses my lips, thinking of that girl from earlier. Something about her, the way she carried herself, the anger in her voice at not being able to be here. It has caught my interest and I plan on learning more about her, and seeing just what it is that makes the Red Reaper of Beacon academy tick.

"Oh? Should we be worried?" His question brings a slight chuckle to my lips.

"Hardly, they'll be scratching their heads long after we finished what we came here for."

"So then, what now?"

_"Cinder, she's here"_ I hear Emerald's voice whisper in my ear.

I look over Mercury's shoulder to the doorway, seeing the girl from earlier, but without the deadly weapon my nickname for her (Red Reaper) derives from. I keep a careful eye on her as she appears and disappears through the crowd.

"Enjoy the rest of the night . . . after all . . . it is a party."

I whisper to Mercury before stepping away from him, carefully making my way through the crowd of couple dancers.

"I lost sight of her, Emerald."

"_Upstairs, near some blondie."_

I pause where I am, the balcony is directly above me. I look over my shoulder, brushing my hair away from my eye so I can see a little further than my hair would normally allow. Sure enough I see her leaning against the banister, talking to a tall blonde girl in a yellow dress.

"Hm, teammate? Isn't that . . ?"

_"Yang Xiao Long. She beat Melanie Malachite in The Pit about a month ago. She's talented."_

I nod my head, walking over to a set of chairs that were set along the side of the room and sit down. I watch the conversation between the two, it seems Red is explaining what happened and why she is late based on the gestures she uses while they speak. My concentration on them is broken at the sound of two people conversing two chairs away, one of them sounding like a girl with a very slight slur in her voice. Possibly having had a drink or two to loosen up. The other voice being a suave boy who may be trying to get a decent conversation started.

"Y'know, we should hang out later, Snow Angel. By later I mean like . . . tomorrow maybe? Not sure, but you seem a little tired and groggy, otherwise tonight would have been nice for a small walk" I look over to them out the corner of my eye, he has a sea-blue hair color, and is currently standing up. The person he is talking to is sitting, but there is another person seated between us, not allowing me to get a clean glimpse.

"That sounds wonderful, Neptune. But I don't think Ruby would be too happy with that~" The girl follows with several giggles, "Where is that girl anyway! I did my hair like this just for her . . . and she has the audacity to not show up!?" The rants of anger – or whines of anger – could never be taken so seriously from someone with such a relaxed tone. I am no professional on drinking, but this girl seems to still be clearly aware of what is going on, but instead suffering a possible personality change.

"Why would it matter? I mean, yeah Ruby's your team leader, but why should she get the final say in who you hang with on your free time?" He disappears from my sight now, sitting himself next to his current companion.

"Because~ She's _MY_ dolt~!" Another series of minor giggles follow. The sort of giggles given when a joke passes and it takes several seconds to understand the pun, resulting in a laugh that is more to yourself for not being able to catch on sooner.

"Oh, well speaking of Ruby. There she is." I hear the boy addressed as Neptune say.

I turn my head to look back up at the balcony, seeing that Red is no longer there, but instead she is hurrying down the stairs with a distasteful look on her face. I lower my head, allowing my hair to cascade over the side of my face and hide my profile from her.

"Ruby, you dolt~! You made it!" I can hear the sound of heels touching the floor, and when I look over I now see the partially drunken girl stand.

_Cute twintails . . . wait, she's a Schnee . . . actually, she's an heiress. Hmm_

I keep my eye on the white-haired woman while Red walks up to her, placing her hands on the Schnee girl's shoulders.

"Weiss, I'm sorry I'm late, don't be mad. I got caught up with something, and I wanted to make my sash and hair white so they look nice and surprise you, but it took longer than I thought. Then something happened at the CCT, and then I rushed here, found Yang, found you, and now I'm here and I'm really, really, really sorry!"

_I think she just broke a record for the most words per minute . . . _

"Oh pshhhh, It's fine~ you dolt. But you have a lot of making up to do~" I see the snow heiress squint and look towards the ceiling a moment, "Or making out, depending on what the case may be."

"W-weiss! A-are you drunk?" The silver-eyed girl's eyes widen.

"Nah~ I had a drink to calm my nerves, then one to relax, then one to keep from getting angry, and one more just cause Neptune got it for me~"

"Woah, woah, woah! The punch is spiked?" Neptune asks while he stands up, entering my view once more. "I drink water, I had no idea, I swear!" He goes wide eyed, but I'm not sure why. I turn my head carefully to look at Reap- I mean, Ruby, and see a glare full of killer intent in her eyes.

"Were you trying to hit on Weiss?" She asks, those eyes of her squinting, locked onto Neptune.

"N-Not at all! I mean, I was chatting with her, but I didn't know the punch was spiked . . . wait that actually explains why Sun was breakdancing during a slowdance earlier tonight."

The people around us felt the awkwardness in the air, and to keep their happy moods they moved a few feet away and kept their backs turned to the ongoing spectacle, all for me who sat quietly and listened in.

"Neptune . . . stay away from her." There it is again, that threatening voice from such an adorable form. It brings a smile to my lips to see such a fire boiling within.

"Wait, Ruby. You should know me better than that. Yeah, I like Weiss, but I would NEVER in a million years try to butter her up with a drink. I asked her to hang out tomorrow or something cause she seemed groggy . . . I didn't think it was the punch." He defends.

"Neptune, she's mine."

"Wait wha-"

I look to my right at him, seeing a look of shock on his face, a similar look taking my face as well when I look ahead of me to see the two girls embraced in a very compassionate liplock.

_I see . . . so this is why you were in such a rush . . . understandable._

"Like I said . . . she's mine, Neptune." Her eyes pierce his after she breaks the kiss.

I begin to chuckle, seeing the Schnee heiress resting her head on Ruby's shoulder, completely oblivious to the conversation going on. The pale, slender fingers holding onto the jealous girl's shoulders, and possibly being the only thing keeping the enraged reaper from getting closer to the blue-haired mess of a boy.

"I thought I was supposed to be the angry one . . . but I guess when I am not angry Ruby 'Rose' to the occasion." Several more giggles escaping the drunken heiress.

"Weiss . . . your bad puns are adorable, but let's get you to the dorm room. You still have common sense, but I don't trust anyone else around here." I watch as the brunette gives a soft kiss to Weiss' temple and interlaces their fingers prior to making their way out the door.

I look back to Neptune who is standing there in complete shock. I assume he just watched a girl he liked get taken away by someone of a different gender. I guess that could be a bit of a morale shock, poor guy. I lean back in the chair, smiling to myself as the two girls leave my sight and out of the club.

"Like I said earlier . . . enjoy the rest of the night . . . after all . . . it is a party"

* * *

Well, Weiss is now established as semi-drunk, and seems quite adorable like that in my opinion!

I wonder what sort of evil plot Cinder has with Ruby Rose :3

I think Neptune won't be seen near Weiss anytime soon either xD Oh boy, things are getting interesting now!

So, do you guys think I did good with Cinder's POV? Or did I do good at certain parts, and bad in others?

Give me some feedback! After all, if I have some more fun with mystery POVs in the future, I'm gonna need some reference so I know where I did good and where I did bad.

Anyway, thank you guys for reading, you have all been amazing to me! As always, leave a review on what you did and didn't like! I love getting feedback!


	26. A Tainted White Rose

_Okay, so this was not easy to write AT ALL . . . I swear, I spent most of today going back and forth with this chapter, having to stop and take mental breaks because of the content. I will say now, this is my first time ever going into any sort of detail like this . . . and I hope you guys, gals, people of all or no genders, and anybody else out there that has been following my fic._

_As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy what is definitely my longest chapter ever with 6,710 words (My previous longest being 4,700)_

* * *

**_POV: RUBY ROSE_**

**_Chapter 26 – A Tainted White Rose_**

"So then, Jaune comes out, and he's in this frilly dress, and just starts to dance with Pyrrha, nobody could stop laughing, it was just sooooo funny!" Weiss giggles, although that's nothing new – the giggling that is. During my walk from the dance to our dorm room, I figured that Weiss is a giggly drunk, much like my sister, Yang, but Weiss is also a lot more affectionate, while Yang would be more flirtatious.

"I'm glad you had fun, Weiss." I whisper to my girlfriend, I have my left arm around her waist, holding her at my side while we walk. She can walk perfectly fine, but I feel a small obligation to keep her at my side. That, and the fact that she keeps touching my white tips on occasion which brings a bright smile to my lips.

_Yay, she likes them!_

We're now just in front of the room door, and while I take out my scroll I realize that it's only 8PM, the dance started at 6, and will be going on until midnight, meaning it wasn't even halfway done and I didn't get a single moment there.

_Ugh! Damn people and ruining my prom night! This was supposed to be a great day!_

I place my scroll to the door, hearing the movement of mechanical parts while it unlocks. I place my scroll back into the side pouch of my dress and push the door open, at this point I let Weiss go, and close the door to the darkened room behind us.

"Weiss, could you get the lights, please?" I ask while I go to the bathroom to see if the white dye that Ren used stained my skin anywhere. He said that he never uses any cheap dye, and this is guaranteed to last a full week before it even begins to fade, but I am perfectly fine with that. I wanted to make my tips white for Weiss, and so far she has made little gestures showing she liked them, or at least I hope she did, and that those were not little things she decides to do since she possibly has a short attention in her current state. I lift my hair and turn my head, checking everywhere along my neck and shoulders for any form of white spot, but happily there is none, Ren did an expert job, just as I figured he would. I was already running late since Ren was a little slow at working my hair, only because he wanted to be very careful and not mess it up considering this was for prom, and Weiss.

I let out a soft sigh, seeing the light turn on over my shoulder in the mirror. Just as I am finished checking for any marks, I feel my scroll vibrate and quickly reach down to see who messaged me. It's from Yang.

**_Sis:_**_ Don't be too hard on Weiss, I have her the first three cups. She's still pretty sober y'know, just more jittery and confident. I spent most of the night she was here with her, and by the way. I did say I'll give you a free pass . . . I won't be home till midnight, neither will Blake. Just at least be covered when we get back ~GreatestSisterEver_

"Yang, by free pass you meant-"

"Ruby~~~~ I can't get this zipper down!"

"I'm coming, Princess." I holler out with a smile. Weiss had a slightly more whiney tone to her right now, and it was beyond adorable. I step out of the bathroom to see Weiss already has her heels kicked off and is struggling to tug the zipper of her dress down. I walk behind her, getting sidetracked by her twin tails, and without realizing it I begin to brush my fingers through each, unable to shake the little smile I have every time I look at them.

"You dolt~ hurry up~" Weiss practically sings out to me. She still had her quickness to get annoyed, but couldn't portray any form of annoyance in her voice, it is just too cute!

"Sorry, sorry!" I squeak out, taking the chance to pinch the top of Weiss' dress with my right hand, then grab the zipper with my left and carefully tug on it until it eventually gives in and slides down. "There we go, want me to get your nightgown?"  
"I'm not as intoxicated as you think, Ruby." Weiss looks over her shoulder at me with a bright smile and half open eyes. "I'm tipsy, not drunk . . . I just get a little carefree when I've had a few cups."

"Wait, you've drank before, Weiss?" I ask with wide eyes.

"Several, Ruby. Just because I'm an heiress doesn't mean I do not like to experiment here and there. I just do so form the safety of my room while my parents are off on one of their extended business trips. Also . . ." Weiss turns around, using her right hand to pinch me on the shoulder.

"Ow!"

"That's for being late." She pinches me again, this time on my other shoulder and with her other hand. "That's for kissing me with so many people around, and this," She looks into my eyes, I'm ready for one more pinch, my shoulders tensed up to absorb the brief pain from it. Instead of a pinch I feel her fingers dig into my shoulders, making me wince and close my eyes from the mild pain.

_Weiss is stronger when she's drun- . . . tipsy_

"W-Weiss I'm sor-!" I begin, but it seems for once things have been switched around. I can feel Weiss' lips gently placed to mine, immediately granting my silence. It is at this point that my battle between my desires and my self-control begins. I want Weiss, I have wanted her for a long time, but it is right to do this now? She's perfectly aware, but at the same time, she could also be doing this on the courage of alcohol, and that's the very last thing I want.

"That's for dying your hair for me . . . I love it" Weiss says while she pulls from our kiss, her left hand now brushing along my hair and cheek, and her right hand resting on my left hip.

"I just thought . . . it was something you may like since you love the color white so much, and well . . . my hair was the only thing I could really compromise with." I open my eyes, looking into Weiss' soft gaze, a smile held on her face that fit her so naturally, and her stare was dreamlike. I am getting lost in her eyes, and I can feel her getting lost in mine.

My hands begin to move on their own. From resting at my sides they slide over Weiss' hips, making my girlfriend smile even brighter at me. I love her smile so much, I love her eyes, I love the way she looks at me, the way she scolds me. I could find a positive in anything about Weiss. Even if it is one of her worst traits, I can find something good that comes out of it. My arms start to feel weak, along with the rest of my body. I part my lips to utter a word, but only choking on my own breath, normally I would at least have had the misfortune of stumbling over my words several times.

"Ruby . . . I'm sorry" Weiss whispers to me. I snap out of my gaze, noticing a tear rolling down her cheek from the corner of her left eye. Without hesitation I bring my right hand up to her cheek, using my thumb to wipe away the salty liquid, still smiling at my girlfriend.

"Why are you sorry?" I ask, giving Weiss a gently push to get her to step backwards and sit in her bed after a few steps, and then sitting myself next to her, but never moving my hands from where they rested.

"You don't need to pretend Ruby. You wanted to be at that dance, and quite frankly I wanted you to be there the entire time as well. It would have been our first prom together, but things happened and unfortunately those things came back and bit us in the ass."

"Weiss, I don't care about a stupid prom. The whole point of me going was to be there with you, and right now I am with you, and that is all that matters." I smile at Weiss, who leans over to rest her head on my shoulder. I reach an around her back to hold her close to me, but jump slightly when I feel the cold, smooth flesh of her exposed back, having completely forgotten that I unzipped her a few minutes ago. I jerk my hand back, making Weiss look up at me with slight worry in her eyes.

"Something wrong?" She asks, inching herself closer to me until I feel our thighs touching, and she is able to sit herself upright.

"Not at all, Weiss. Just forgot that I opened your dress . . . and well."

"Touching my bare back felt like some sort of taboo to you?" She both completes my statement and asks a question, that tipsy smile still across her face.

"Y-yeah, pretty much." I feel my face begin to redden, and in a poor attempt at hiding it I turn my head away, only to feel Weiss's index and middle fingers slide along my neck, to my chin and turn my head back to face her.

"Don't be selfish, Ruby."

"Huh?" I look at Weiss with confusion written all over my face. Weiss smiles, keeping her right hand underneath my chin, and placing her left hand behind me so she can lean towards my ear.

"Hiding the cutest face in Vale from me is very selfish of you." I hear Weiss whisper with a relaxed, sultry tone to her voice.

At her words my arms begin to tremble. Her cool breath in my ear and the slightly flirtatious tone with her words is edging me closer to wanting to pounce her on the bed. Weiss' fingers trail away from my chin and begin to brush down my neck until her palm is touching the top of my chest. I can feel my heart pounding against her palm, and feeling her touch only makes my heart pound harder.

"Ruby . . . I decided to take advice from your sister." Weiss begins to speak, at the same time pushing me back on the bed. I fall back onto the soft mattress, not even getting a chance to prop myself up on my elbows before Weiss lays back as well, laying on her side right next to me, her hand still on my chest, and her right leg draping itself over my thighs. She propped herself up on her left elbow, allowing her to look down at me, that giggly smile of hers replaced by some sort of mix between fear, nervousness, and deep down a glimmer of happiness.

"Yang told me I am far too uptight . . . and I need to loosen up." She begins to explain, laying her head down on my shoulder, nuzzling her face into my neck like an affectionate kitten. I start to giggle at the feeling of Weiss' twintail brushing along my skin with the little shakes of her head she makes, along with the light barrage of kisses she plants on me.

"S-so? She's told you that before." I whisper, sliding my right arm underneath Weiss to hold her close to me. At my words she lifts her head from my neck, a blush coating her lips.

"Sorry, spaced out . . . so, well. I had a drink to keep myself from getting anxious for you to get there faster." She leans down a moment to kiss at the spot right where my neck and jaw meet, just below my ear, then continues.

"Then I asked her for another . . . this one was to calm my nerves to enjoy the night," After she speaks, she places another kiss on me, this one on my right temple.

"Finally I took a third . . . I wanted this one as assurance that I will be able to say anything I wanted to say to you that night . . . I told Yang why I wanted a third drink . . . she was hesitant, not wanting me too tipsy for you" A third kiss comes down on my cheek, and then another slightly closer to my lips.

"Your sister refused to give me another . . . so I went and asked Neptune for one more . . . I saw you enter while I was drinking it" Weiss reaches out, turning my head to face her and look into her soft blue eyes.

"Ruby Rose . . . if I did not have four cups of spiked punch in me right now . . . I would not be able to even utter these words, but know that these drinks only gave me the confidence to ask . . . because I have only dreamed of being in this situation." Weiss' cheeks are a beat red. I can tell she is fighting away her giggles, and the urge to bury her face back into my neck, but eventually she does just that: hiding her face against my neck while she whispers something barely audible to me.

"Ruby I want to c…ate our love"

"W-Weiss, I couldn't hear you." I whisper to her, dragging my fingers along her exposed back, trying my best to calm her enough for her to say it. It must be really important if she even has trouble saying it with alcohol in her system. From what I've been told (mostly by Yang) alcohol is one of the most effective 'Truth Serums'.

"I . . . I want to con-con…con…" I reach down while Weiss stutters with her words, tugging her from my neck so I can turn and face her.

"Weiss, just say it. Nothing you can say will make me look at you differently. You will always be my Ice Princess." I lean up, pressing my lips to hers. What was meant to be a kiss to calm her nerves turned into something far deeper. The moment our lips connect Weiss presses me down onto the mattress. Her right hand back to pressing me down by my chest, and her left hand holding my shoulder, not letting me move away, or towards her.

_Weiss . . . you choose the worst times to kiss me like this!_

I begin grinding my thighs together, trying to fight away the growing sensation between my legs. Weiss' tongue claiming my lips in one of her most aggressive kisses. Her right thigh eventually slides up to rest over my waistline. Her tongue invades my lips, finding its way to make contact with mine. They begin dancing in a spiraling embrace, throwing my mind further into a haze while I try to match Weiss' movements. I feel the pressure of her right hand leave my chest, making it slightly easier for me to pant through my nose. I make out the faint sound of some sort of material snapping, dismissing it as Weiss' skirt getting caught underneath her and getting stretched.

I can feel Weiss begin to slow down and pull away to break our lips, but I don't want her to. I lift myself on my elbows, desperately following her retreating lips, but she keeps pulling back, despite my whimpers of disapproval. I shift my balance onto one arm, reaching out with the other for Weiss' head, but she slaps my arm away and pushes me down to the mattress with a soft thud. There are tears in my eyes, but not from her breaking our kiss. My body is burning. I need Weiss to touch me. I am wearing red panties with a black heart on the front, but at this point that has no value. They are drenched, stained with proof of my need and arousal. I need her to please me, but how do I ask that of her? I'm slowly being torn apart with my thoughts, unable to decide between what is morally correct, and what is correct for myself.

On one hand I can somehow say what I want, and hope Weiss feels the same desire as me, but if she does I do not know if she is only abusing the fact that she is tipsy to go through with something she normally wouldn't have the heart to.

On the other hand I can try my best to deal with this, and find an excuse to 'shower' although I will come out of the bathroom far dirtier than when I entered.

"Ruby . . . look at me . . . please." I can hear a distress in Weiss' voice. The 'please' at the end coming out in a hushed whisper. I open my eyes slowly, my vision blurred from the tears of frustration I shed recently. I look at Weiss' outfit, seeing the fishnet material over her right shoulder shredded, and the dress hanging down on that side, exposing the top of her right breast.

"Ruby . . . I need you." I look into her eyes. She could not have meant those words in the sense I was thinking of, but her panting, her body language, everything point to it.

"Weiss . . . I-I'm not sure if you mean-"

"Dolt!" Weiss shouts at me burying her face into my shoulder. I can feel the heat from her blush radiating against my flesh. I need to get this dress off, it's getting too warm in here.

"I…I want to consummate our relationship." I hear Weiss whisper in a shaky voice. "N-now."

_She wants you, Ruby. Look at her . . . she needs you. Why are you so still? Why are you not moving? Ruby Rose, your girlfriend needs you, NOW!_

My entire body jerks as I am snapped out of my daze by my inner voice. I can feel Weiss' heavy panting on my shoulder, and the shaking through her body.

_She wants you_

I gently reach for her head, kissing Weiss' temple before trying to lift her head from my shoulder.

_She needs you_

I watch as tear stricken, blue eyes meet my own. I reach both hands up, causing Weiss to close her eyes while I use my thumbs to wipe aware her tears, whether they are from embarrassment, or from frustration like me, I have no idea, but again, that has no value right now.

_She's your princess_

As my thumbs move from her eyes, she opens them again, greeted by my warmest smile. A smile that should tell her all she needs to know.

_She belongs to you_

"Ruby . . . I-" I quickly bring my index finger to her lips. I give a shake of my head, and smile at her once more. I move my other hand to her hip, and carefully lift my leg to wrap around her waist.

_She is mine, and that will never change_

I feel my body move on its own accord. I swing my leg tightly around Weiss' waist, pulling my heiress on top of me, but then rolling her off of me so I can then roll onto her. My left knee is now planted firmly on the mattress. My left and right hands resting on either sides of Weiss' head. I look down at her beautiful eyes, my lips parted and accompanied by constant panting.

"Weiss . . . I-" I get the same treatment I gave her earlier, a finger pressed to my lips, followed by a gentle head shake. This time both of us exchange a smile. For the first time tonight we are on the same page.

Weiss cups my cheek in her hand. I love having her cold fingers against me. Just like I did earlier today, I trap her hand against my cheek and shoulder, sighing in content. While I sigh, Weiss takes the liberty of dragging her thumb along my lips, and taking it a step further to pull her thumb away each time I try to wrap my lips around it, her adorable giggling making a return. To get back at her I reach down to her right shoulder, pulling on the ripped fabric of her top to further stretch and rip it open, resulting in Weiss' small, perky right breast being exposed to me.

_Don't rush Ruby . . . she's not going anywhere_

I bring my arms from the sides of Weiss' head, to her shoulders, making it easier for me to lean down and trace my tongue around her perky nipple and pink areola. I hear sharp gasps coming from my Princess. Each one coming when I inch my tongue slightly closer to the little nub at the center of her breast. Despite me being in contact with her right breast, I can feel the strong pounding of her heart, and her heavy breaths that follow.

"R-Ru-Ruby" She hisses out during her exhale, "D-Don't j-just leave yourself unattended."

Her most innocent way of asking me to move to a position that she can tend to me in return, but that's not what I want. My gender is burning, my legs are weak, but I want to make Weiss scream my name before anything else. I've dreamt of my name leaving her lips while her mind is being sent through a world of eternal bliss. I want Weiss to scream my name, I need Weiss to scream my name, and Weiss Schnee WILL scream my name.

"Just relax." I whisper to her, delaying my attention to her breast while I speak. "How about we get you out of these bothersome clothes? Hm?" Her pleading look changes completely at my suggestion, and she quickly nods her head, more than willing to sit up (after I climb off of her), and then stand up with me. I waste no time in helping Weiss shed her outfit, pulling the fishnet off of her shoulders and letting the entire dress fall to the floor, leaving it as a white ring at her feet for her to step out of.

While I look at her slender form I am left breathless. Her pale skin truly resembled the pale, unblemished characteristics of snow. Her soft breasts that were covered by her dress and integrated bra are now in complete view to me. I fight the urge to simply reach out and fondle them, instead turning around for Weiss to start helping me with my dress. I quickly undo the laces in the front of my outfit, feeling the material loosen around my hips, torso, and chest. When I am done with my part, Weiss slides the dress down from my shoulders, lowering down to a knee keep tugging it down until it releases my body and drops to the floor, forming a red ring around my ankles.

I feel so exposed, but I'm exposed to the one I desire. The person who will look at me and cherish every inch of my body, but make love to my personality. I carefully step out of the ring, kicking the dress across the room, somewhere near the foot of Blake's bed. Just as I am about to turn around, I feel Weiss' arms wrapped around my waist, and her cheek pressed to my ass.

"W-Weiss!" I gasp out, trying to wiggle my hips to get her to let go with no avail.

"Sorry, Ruby. But this is the cutest butt in all of Remnant. It's hard to resist!"

_Yup . . . she's definitely tipsy_

The silence we had going was now broken, but I prefer it this way. Weiss and I love communicating with each other. Silence was never something that existed between us, so why should it exist now? I want her to scream my name.

"Weiss~ if you don't let go then I can't take my panties off." I tease, wiggling my ass more against her cheek. Within a second Weiss releases my hips and is standing up. I turn around now, looking at her with the sweetest of my smiles. Something is controlling me, some sort of force that knows what I should be doing in this situation. Is this what love and lust feels like?

_Weiss . . . you're mine. Forever and always_

I quickly push her onto her bed, crawling on top of her before she can utter an ounce of disapproval.

"Weiss . . . just let me love you." I whisper while I loom over her exposed form. Neither of us has made an attempt to cover up our bodies, either from the shock that we are about to consummate, or we are just comfortable enough with each other to not feel ashamed of how we look underneath our clothes, but that's another one of those 'does not matters' isn't it?

"Just . . . please be gentle Ruby. This is my first." For the first time I hear a bashfulness in Weiss' voice that has surpassed any other time in the past. That reaction from her is just what I needed to fuel this weird feeling inside of me.

"It's my first too, Weiss . . . speak up if I do something wrong." I lean down, her eyes closing and lips puckering in expectance of a kiss from me.

_Hope you won't be too disappointed, Weiss._

I bring my lips down on the nipple that was previously covered by her dress (left), pressing my lips around the areola in a perfect circle, prior to starting to suck weakly and drag my tongue around the hardening nub. I hear a sharp and feel Weiss' back arch.

_I must be doing something right._

I reach my left hand out to her other breast, letting her know it was not forgotten. I can feel her squirming underneath me. 'My Princess is happy' are the only words in my mind. I continue to spiral my tongue around her nipple, and knead her other breast, deciding to trap her nipple between the second knuckle of my middle and index fingers. The effort earning a choked back moan from Weiss.

_That's it, Princess. Sing those beautiful melodies for me._

I pull away from her nipple with a soft pop, admiring the glisten my saliva has left over it. I look up at Weiss who is now panting with closed eyes, and a blush that covers her entire face.

"It's okay, Weiss. You don't need to stay quiet." I whisper to her, planting a gentle kiss beneath her breast, then another one slightly lower. Before I realize it I am now on my knees, at the bedside, kissing just beneath Weiss' bellybutton.

"R-Ruby! W-what are you doing!?" I hear Weiss shout at me between gasps.

_I don't know myself, Weiss . . . but I am making you happy, and that's all that matters._

"Just relax. You trust me, right?" I give her a soft smile. She nods her head, propping herself up on her elbows and watches me while I begin to tug down her beautiful, white panties. They are as pale as the snow, except of course for the dampened slit in the center of them, undoubtedly from her hidden gem beneath. I slowly tug her panties down to her mid-thigh, allowing me the unforgettable sight of her bare sex. The part where her legs joined with her pelvis was glistening with her juices, and her netherlips were drenched in their own right.

"I love you, Weiss." I whisper, more to myself than to her. I pull her panties down to her ankles and toss them across the room with my discarded dress. I carefully place her slender thighs on my shoulders, my eyes glued to the sight of her dripping nethers. I hook my arms over her thighs and reach over to place my thumbs on either side of her puffed lips, gently pulling my thumbs apart, and allowing me to see the glistening pink flesh of her inner canal. I inch myself forward, trusting my body to let it run on instinct.

When I am centimeters from her sex, I shiver at the unique scent she has. It's completely indescribable since there is no scent that comes even close to it, but from now on I will know it as hers. I close my eyes, letting my tongue slip free and gently swipe the tip from the bottom of her drenched slit, all the way to the top, feeling my tongue brush over a small bump.

"A-ah~! R-Ruby!" I hear Weiss cry despite her clenching her thighs, trapping my head between her legs, and turning her thighs into a pretty good pair of earmuffs.

_Let's try that again._

I lean down, mimicking the same motion, and the same response follows, but this time I stop just shy of the bump I felt earlier and begin to flick my tongue over it, quickly realizing what it was. Weiss' thighs begin to clench on my head harder and harder, and I can feel the twists in her body while she squirms and fights to keep still for me. Out of curiosity I stop using my tongue, waiting for a few seconds after her movements stop. I am elated to be greeted by Weiss now bucking her hips for me to continue, evening reaching down to grasp the back of my head and try to pull me in closer. She stops her bucking the second I drag my tongue over her clit again.

After I while I begin to develop a rhythm, lick from bottom to top twice, give three flicks to her clit, and do it all over again. With my constant tongue lashing she can't seem to stop squirming, even for a second. She moves her hand from the back of my head, and when I open an eye to see why, I am greeted by the sight of her playing with her breasts, while her head is tilted towards the ceiling. She is truly lost in bliss. I keep my tongue in motion, watching her lips, reading the little words she murmurs under her breath. Most of them being variations of the word 'yes' and 'more', and needless to say I am more than happy to comply for Weiss.

I take a tighter hold on her thighs, deciding to go for a different approach this time. Instead of swiping up along her slit like I've been doing, I run the tip of my tongue to prod her vaginal canal. Weiss' squirming stops, and instead her back arches and lifts from the bedside while my tongue slowly works itself into her thickly lubricated hole.

_You're mine forever, Weiss._

"D-Deeper Ruby! For Remnant's sake go deeper!" She cries out. I've been dripping through my panties for a while now, the lightest of touches could send me over the edge, but I want Weiss to be the one to do that. I unhook my arms from her thighs, also pulling my tongue out of her hole and standing up, much to her displeasure.

"R-Ruby! Why!? Please . . . I need this!" She cries and pleads for me to continue, and I will, but there is one thing I need from her. I hop onto the bed, landing over her wit hthe use of my hands and knees to avoid crushing her in a Weiss sandwich. I give Weiss a quick kiss, dipping my tongue into her lips to give her a taste of the new flavor I now love.

"I'll take care of you, Weiss . . . but I need you to promise me something." I whisper after breaking our quick liplock and tongue tango.

"A-Anything you d-dolt!"

"Never go near Neptune again." My eyes soften and whatever has been taking its hold on me becomes stronger than ever.

"Dolt . . . you're the only person I want in my life, of course I'll stay away from him!" Weiss shouts in a mix of anger and relief at such a simple request, but it means the world to me when she agrees.

"Thank you, Weiss." I whisper, that invisible force, and inside voice letting me free to control myself. I decide to turn around, placing my knees on either side of Weiss head while I bring my head back down between her legs. "Please . . . take care of me, Weiss." I whisper to her before I go back to dragging my tongue over her clit.

Without Weiss' thighs over my ears I can now hear every moan and squeal she makes to the fullest, driving me to lick faster. I feel Weiss' trembling fingers moving my panties aside, exposing myself to her. I can feel myself dripping in need, in need of Weiss' touch. I look below me, between Weiss' body and mine to see her staring at my dripping wetness. My face begins to burn with a forming blush from seeing how focused Weiss is staring at it. I'm still feel a desperate need for her touch, and the next thing I know, I have my legs spread further apart, and my hips are now lower, snapping Weiss from her trance with my needy sex sitting centimeters from her face with no way for her to turn.

"Please, Weiss…." I call out over my shoulder, wiggling my hips, hoping to entice her to do anything at all.

I don't need to wait long, and let out a choked moan when something thin and long slides inside me. I rest my cheek on Weiss' stomach, savoring the feeling of having that small item pistoning inside me.

"I…I didn't say for you to stop, Dolt!" I hear Weiss scream before a second item of identical shape joins the first inside me, both now moving at an even faster speed. I dig my nails into the bed, turning my head down to go back to eating out my girlfriend. I quickly try to muffle my moans, pushing my tongue back into her depths, and when I finally moan, I let the heavy vibrations draw out several, ear breaking moans from Weiss.

_She moans pretty loud . . . I hope Team JNPR isn't back yet . . . oh well._

"R-ruby! J-Just a little more!"

I smile, hearing Weiss' cute little screams mixed with demands. I pull my tongue out of her and quickly replace it with two fingers. I rest my palm over her sex, and start to move my fingers in and out of her in short, quick motions, watching her legs tense and toes curl. She looks like she is so close to cumming, but somehow she's been able to fight it off for so long.

_My girlfriend has monster stamina in bed . . . _

I can't help but lean down, helping push my girlfriend over the edge by dragging my tongue over her clitoris while my fingers continue to work their magic. Just before she begins to moan out, I feel her insides clench around my fingers, telling me she is right at her peak. At the same time I feel whatever was in me before be taken out and replaced by something more flexible. Weiss' hands grab onto my ass firmly, pulling me down onto her while she lets out a high-pitched moan, a sudden vibration inside me makes me realize that her tongue is buried as deep as possible within me.

My entire body begins to quake. I feel a massive rush of heat focus within my loins, and before I can utter another word I begin to cry out in complete ecstasy. My juices coating Weiss' tongue, lips, and a decent amount of her cheeks and chin from my heavy climax. I begin to slowly pull my fingers out of Weiss' hole while also lifting my hips from her face, but her firm grip on my rear doesn't allow me to get too far.

"N-not yet, Ruby . . . it . . . I like the taste . . ." She whispers, following up by pulling my hips back down and just dipping the tip of her tongue inside me.

I fight my hardest not to squirm, letting her (and definitely me) enjoy the treatment for a little longer. I look at my fingers after I pull them out, seeing them drenched in a thick, clear liquid. I smile, not hesitating to bring those fingers to my lips and begin cleaning off my two digits.

_Heheh, Weiss Cream! . . . I wonder if it tastes good with strawberries . ._

I let out a sharp gasp when I feel Weiss' tongue go deeper inside me, making me jerk my hips up and earn another cute whine from her. As much as I would love to lay here and let her keep going, my body is telling me that I am far too sensitive to continue for tonight.

"S-sorry, Weiss . . . I'm at my limit" I whisper while crawling off of her and lying myself at her side. I look at her face, seeing the space around her lips drenched in my cum, and my curiosity takes the best of me.

"Hold still, Weiss." I command of her. I lean over her form, starting to carefully lick around her lips. Doing my best to clean up whatever mess I left on my girlfriend's face. When I finish I look and see her cheeks a rose red, and begin to giggle at how adorable she looks right now.

"N-not funny, Dolt! . . . I didn't ask you to do that . . ."

"You didn't complain to me doing it either," I counter, and lean down to give Weiss one more kiss, "We can share a bed, right?" I look at her with a smile plastered on my face.

"As long as you don't pull the covers off of me . . . I don't have the energy to go get clothes."

"Good, then we sleep naked!" I announce and reach down to shimmy out of my red and black panties, throwing them across the room as well.

"You know your sister will see all of our clothes on the floor when she comes back, right?"

"Yeah, but she gave me a free pass, so it's okay." I grin.

"I'm not even going to ask." Weiss shakes her head, crawling to her pillow to lay down. I crawl next to her and bring her white covers with me to cover the two of us. Before I lay down at her side I reach behind her neck and undo her necklace, earning a questioning look from her.

"I'm gonna put it back on, don't worry" I reassure her, hooking her necklace underneath mine, then hooking it back around her neck. "Now I know you won't sneak off at night without me." I nod my head, wrapping my arms around Weiss who then wraps her leg over my hip and ass.

"You're such a Dolt sometimes . . . a jealous Dolt at that."

"Buuuuuuuut?"

"But you're my jealous dolt . . ."

"And don't you forget it!" I shout out in happiness.

I reach over Weiss; shoulder, hitting the switch on her lamp to allow the room be blanketed in darkness. I bring myself closer to Weiss, our breasts pressing together, her sticky thigh draped over my hip, and her lips gently pressing to mine before she lays her head down to sleep. I smile to myself, knowing very well that tonight was the very best prom night, ever, and can't wait to enter my dreamland to see what other tasks will come to mind after what I just had the pleasures of going through (pun intended).

* * *

So ummmmmm...Yeah, that just happened . . . let me know if it was a hit or miss. I tried to incorporate a new little element into the chapter . . . no, not sex . . . although that was new to me too. I tried to incoroprate Ruby's thoughts being taken over by jealousy from seeing Weiss with Neptune. I thought it was a cute/sexy/somewhat obsessive act that fits a jealous, possessive, adorable Ruby.

Anyway, make sure to send me feedback . . . I swear, if I don;t get any feedback I will never do a lemon this long again . . . It only ended up this long because I refuse to rush a White Rose Lemon since it must contain fluff!


	27. Jealousy Has a Sister

_So, let's take a step back and see what led to Ruby finally snapping into a jealous fit of want for Weiss . . . _**  
**

_Now we get to see just whose responsible for it all._

* * *

**POV: BLAKE BELLADONNA**

**_Chapter 27 – Jealousy Has a Sister_**

"Blake, go on ahead, Weiss and I need to take care of something." I look at Yang who is standing next to me, but gazing over her shoulder. I trace her gaze back to see Weiss sagged behind and is looking at the old clock tower off in the distance.

_About time Yang starts making friends with her sister's girlfriend._

"Don't be too hard on her." I whisper to Yang and continue walking inside. I decide to keep a brisk pace, not wanting to overhear any of their conversation. As far as I am concerned it is a chat between future in-laws with how Weiss and Ruby are clued to each other, and I would be more than happy to see that. I've watched those two form the very beginning, seeing Weiss wince and cringe while Ruby is in the arena, either fighting a creature of grim, or another student. Only to scold Ruby on her poor fighting form. Weiss always found some way to relay her concern in a scolding manner, even with Yang's many threats of beating the poor snow heiress to a bloody pulp. It became obvious to me that Weiss was undoubtedly a tsundere.

As I enter the large ballroom I decide to make my way to the punch bowl and get myself a drink before Yang has a chance to spike it, which I'm pretty sure she will. It wouldn't be a party that Yang helped put together unless she added her own unmistakable twist to it, and knowing the blonde as well as I did, it would be what she would find to loosen the mood and get everyone enjoying themselves much faster.

I shimmy through the relatively small crowd of people, seeing the large rectangular table off in the distance. As I finally clear my way past everyone and have a clear view of the table, stacked with several red cups, a punch bowl, several 2-liter bottles of soda off to the side. I reach out for one of the red cups, but I feel a hand brush mine away, and when I turn to offer my death glare, I am met by the optimistic smile of Sun Wukong.

"Hey, Blake." He says with a wave of his hand, the same hand he used to stop me from getting myself some punch.

"Hello, Sun. Is there any reason I am not allowed to get a drink?" I stare at him with my amber eyes while I reach for the cup once more.

"Well, I was going to offer to do it for you. Try to be a gentleman one time . . . I'm even wearing a shirt . . . and it's buttoned. Do you have any idea how uncomfortable this is for me?"

I shake my head, watching as he tugs at the white tie of his semi-formal outfit. He's only wearing a dark grey short sleeve dress shirt, accompanied by blue cargo pants with a white belt. As usual he is wearing his tradition red and black wrist bracers, and his black and yellow sneakers. I suppose I should be proud of him for at least trying to dress formal, despite how poor of an attempt it is.

"Well, you look nice, despite being out of your element." I whisper while I grasp the cup in one hand, and the ladle for the punch bowl in the other hand. I take two scoopfuls to fill my cup millimeters from the top, and take a small sip from it to avoid any spilling.

"Thanks! Isn't easy to wear this stuff, don't know how people do it. I feel so-"

"Restrained?" I interrupt

"Exactly! Someone who understands!"

"Not exactly. I am use to tight clothes." I say to him with a shake of my head, walking by him to find a table to sit at.

"Should I save the catsuit joke for now or later?" He asks, entering a small jog to catch up to me before matching my walking pace.

"You're worse than Yang . . . just give up on the puns while you're ahead, Sun." I sigh, finding a table at the left corner of the room (when looking in from the doorway), relatively close to the door should I need fresh air. Sun decides to sit at the table with me, although I make a point to show no interest in holding up a conversation with him. I did not want to come with him to the dance, and I should not be subject to his company the entire night. If I wanted his company, I would have accepted one of his many offers that extended into double digits.

"Oh, come on. That was totally a good one!" He holds his arms apart in a mild protest. "Besides, I have a way better sense of humor than Yang." His comment makes me immediately roll my eyes.

"Oh? Like you mentioning I use to be a part of a 'cult' quote on quote." I flash him a swift stare, then look back at the group of people on the dance floor. I catch a large patch of blonde off in the distance, but above the group, and when I lift my gaze to check it out, I can see Yang standing on the balcony of the room, staring right at me while she hands Weiss a cup of punch without even looking to the snow-haired girl.

_What is up with her?_

"Okay, okay. It was a joke made in bad taste, I get it." Sun grabs his chair, moving it over to sit in front of me. Almost blocking my view of Yang, but I can still see her focused stare over his shoulder.

_Wait, is she jealous? Of Sun?_ _Hmmm_

"I suppose I can forgive you," I turn my head to look at him, but still keep a glance at Yang with my peripheral vision, "Just don't do it again, got it?" I shift myself in my seat, crossing my right leg over my left. She slit on my right thigh allowing my leg to slide more into view and show my pale skin going from my mid-thigh and down. The gesture earning an orange flash from over Sun's shoulder, confirming my earlier suspicions.

_Yup, blondie's jealous._

"Not a problem! From here on I will be the No Pun Intended Sun Wukong." He smiles brightly with a heightened enthusiasm that makes me smile since it is a trait I have come to adore in Yang.

"Alright, No Pun Sun. How about you go get yourself a drink before your mouth goes dry? Don't worry, I'll be here." I chuckle, the monkey faunus nodding his head before standing up and making his way through the crowd to get a drink. I look back up at Yang, seeing the blond lift a red cup above her head and chug down whatever amount of punch she had left in the cup.

_You're making this too easy, Yang._

I sit back, gazing around the room, but ultimately watching Yang as she talks with Weiss. Whatever conversation I was asked to leave the two alone for clearly not done, and it must have some value if it is keeping Yang away from me, even with Sun making it a point to try to spend the evening with me.

A good hour goes by with Sun and I finding minor subjects to talk about, but all of them leading back to what could possibly be going on with Roman Torchwick, a known faunus hater, to be working with the White Fang. At some when he had gone for a refill I spotted him taking a moment to start breakdancing in the middle of the dance floor, although he chose the completely wrong song to do so – a slow song. When he returns to me, I couldn't help but laugh, especially when he asks me if I like his dancing skills. I decide to peek back over to see if Yang and Weiss are still talking on the balcony, and become surprised to see only Weiss there, drinking from another red cup.

"So, just to change the topic a bit, how come you've kept saying no to me each time I've asked you to the dance? Was it really because of the whole 'cult' comment?" He asks, drinking from his cup, and adding a small shake of his head. Sun has been talking with a slight slur in his voice, barely noticeable by most, but then again, my ears can pick up anything, including the slight lisp he's been picking up, and I know Sun doesn't have a lisp.

"Hold that thought. I want a drink." I stand up, starting to walk by before I feel a gentle poke to my back.

"I-I wouldn't do that. Someone spiked the punch, just warning, heheh. Nothing too strong, though, but I don't think you drink." Sun warns, still sporting that optimistic smile and attitude of his, but with his eyelids slightly lower than usual.

"I'll check for soda or water, then." I answer him and begin to shimmy my way through the crowd of people. Within an hour the amount of people inside has doubled, making it a minor task to maneuver around everyone, even making me resort to zigzagging my way towards the drink table.

As I reach the table it appears that the first batch of cups have been long gone, and several stacks of red cups, still in their plastic bags are placed on the table for people to reach in and grab. I go into the bag, fighting a brief battle with the plastic wrap to get a cup out.

"Don't drink the punch." I hear a familiar voice whisper behind me.

Before I can turn around I can feel Yang's arms wrap around my waist, giving me a slight smile to finally have her near me for the first time tonight, though I make a point to hide the satisfaction in my voice.

"I am well aware you spiked the punch, Yang. Sun warned me before I came over here, and I've noticed him starting to slur." I say to her, waiting for my smile to fade before looking at her from over my shoulder.

"Yeah, well. Weiss is about to be on her third cup . . . No, I'm not getting her drunk. I just want her to air out a bit. Ruby isn't here yet and she's doing her best to keep happy." I hear Yang let out a frustrated sigh. "I wanted to spend the night with you, y'know. Believe me, this is not how I had the evening planned."

"Yang, I'm not in any way mad at you. As a matter of fact, I am proud to see you keeping your sister's girlfriend company, but at the same time, keeping Weiss isolated won't help her relax anymore. Don't forget that she is pretty serious about Ruby, so having her down here to chat with people won't run the risk of her flirting. She thinks herself far too above flirting anyway." I add, chuckling as I look up from where I am to see Weiss staring at the door, unaware that Yang and I are right below her. "Anyway, let me get a cup of soda or something, and I'll get back to Sun."

"Why don't you come upstairs with me and Weiss? Nothing says only two people are allowed on the balcony."

_There's that jealousy._

"Would be a bit rude to just leave him, Yang. Plus I think it's a good bonding experience for you and Weiss. Who knows, you may even start feeling more comfortable with her dating Ruby." I smile, gently prying myself from Yang's grip on my waist so I can turn around and face her.

"Hold that thought." Yang says in a slight rush while she crouches down, lifting the white covering of the table to show a cooler hidden underneath. She opens it up, pulling out a half-empty gallon of milk and pours it into the cup I just recently grabbed. I smile at her thoughtfulness, and take a sip from the cup while she puts the gallon back. "That used to be full . . . I guess some people aside from you and Ruby actually like drinking cold milk."

"Thanks, Yang. You didn't spike the milk too, now did you?" I grin, deciding to tease the blonde a bit more.

"Nope, aside from the water, I think that's the only thing that isn't spiked."

"So you spiked the soda too?"

"No! . . . Yes. Well I didn't want prom to be all dull. I mean, look around! Everyone is giggling, having fun, and just enjoying themselves . . . actually." Yang begins to giggle, soon several others in the room beginning to laugh until my ears get drowned out by the sounds of roaring laughter throughout the building. I look to where Yang is looking, and place my free hand over my mouth to muffle my laughs at the sight of Jaune making an appearance in the dress that had been chosen for him between Yang and Pyrrha. The blonde boy walking through the crowd, with everyone laughing and stepping aside to make room for him to pass. Eventually finding his way to Pyrrha who turns around and stiffens a small giggle at the sight of Jaune wearing the dress with no shame in his gestures.

"Well, I think they look cute together. Pyrrha will make a good husband." I smile. Yang choking away her laughter at my comment, giving a shake of her head.

"Blake Belladonna, are you gaining a sense of humor!?" Yang follows with a fake gasp of surprise.

"Just hush up and tell Weiss to come down. If you're worried about losing her, just sit her near the stairs. Neptune's over there, and I'm sure he'll be more than happy to talk to her."

"Doesn't Neptune like Weiss?" Yang asks, questioning my suggestion.

"Yes he does, but I'm sure you trust Weiss. Just like you trust me talking to Sun." I flash her a grin while I brush past her and start retreating through the crowd to join Sun again.

"Damnit, Blake!" I hear Yang mumble while I disappear. A smile crossing my lips from her comment, mainly because her jealousy reminds me that she ideally cares about me.

I make my way back to Sun, needless to say he is surprised to see my cup filled with milk. He seems to be a bit calmer while he is buzzed, and with me away I suppose the liquor has started to settle into his system since he isn't as talkative.

"Y'know . . . I just wanna ask, to be a friend and all . . . but does Weiss talk about Neptune at all? That lady is hard to read sometimes." Sun looks at me, this is an odd situation to be in. I look up at the balcony, seeing Weiss is no longer there, but instead some girl with white tips in her hair. Taking a moment to look closer, I realize that it is actually Ruby.

_So that's why you were late. How sweet. Thinking about it now . . . telling Yang to leave Weiss with Neptune was a bad idea . . . Ruby has been a bit possessive lately. Shit, I should find Weiss right now and hope she isn't with Neptune!_

"Ummm, sometimes, but anyway, I think Weiss is with Neptune right now, or at least she should be. Let's see if we can find 'em." I speak quickly, standing up with a clear rush in my movements. Sun is not far behind, though slightly delayed with his motions, which is expected. I am honestly amazed that he is still so responsive, although that just means he has a good tolerance to alcohol. I begin moving towards the staircase on the far side of the room, but when I look back up to the balcony and see Ruby is heading towards the other staircase, I change directions in hope of intercepting her.

_Fuck! I hope she doesn't see Weiss!_

"Blake! Wait up! Ah, sorry!" I hear Sun bump into someone while he tries to follow me swaying through dancing couples. However, just as I reach the edge of the crowd I pause, seeing that the damage is already done. Weiss is sitting and talking with Neptune, and Ruby is coming to the bottom of the nearby stairs, eyes locked onto the two of them.

"Blake, why are you in such a ru-" I quickly elbow Sun in the gut, making him wince. "What the fuck, Blake! That hurt!"

"Shut up, Sun . . . I just made a big mistake" I clench my fists, watching an enraged Ruby being intercepted by a slightly unbalanced Weiss.

"Ugh . . . what do you mean? And is that Ruby? Aren't her tips supposed to be red?"

I ignore Sun, clenching my fists as I look on, hoping Ruby doesn't make a difficult scene after seeing a slightly alcohol-influenced Weiss speaking with Neptune.

"Were you trying to hit on Weiss?" I hear Ruby say, making me facepalm myself and wish I never made the suggestion to Yang.

_Great job, Blake. Most genius move you ever made._

I tune out Neptune's stuttering and babbling, more focused on Ruby at this point, ready to move in should Little Red snap. For some reason she already seems to be a little edgier than usual, but not being near Weiss on such an important night for the two of them could easily set even Ruby close to the edge.

"Neptune . . . stay away from her." I hear Ruby warn him with a rather menacing glare.

"Hey! She can't talk to Neptune like that! What the hell?" I look to my side, seeing Sun about to step forward, and quickly I extend my arm to hold him back, the monkey faunus looking at me with clear disapproval.

"Sun . . . if anyone is going to step in, it will be me. If you try to intimidate Ruby in any way you will have Yang, Weiss, and myself on you. Ruby's our team leader, and we will not hesitate to defend her. Got it?" I look at him, my stern stare letting him know I am completely serious. I look at him as he clenches his fists and takes a half step back, watching on with me at the event unfolding.

"Neptune, she's mine." Ruby says, while lifting Weiss' face to meet her own.

_Ruby, don't tell me you're going to!_

"Wait, wha-" I can hear Neptune respond, at least until he sees Ruby place her lips to Weiss. I place my fist to my lips, amazed at Ruby's determination to make sure it is known that they are a couple.

_And boom goes the dynamite . . ._

"Woah. Weiss is gay?" Sun gasps out in complete shock.

_Yeah, well . . . she isn't the only one Sun. Gonna hate to have to break it to you._

* * *

So, the one who brought the two together just helped bring Ruby into a jealous rage, well then xD


	28. A Step Closer to Pollination

_Okay, here is Chapter 28 . . . as you can see I have gone back to bouncing around within a specific timeframe, but I added a little twist and made this chapter a direct continuation from four chapters ago, BUT it's now in Yang's perspective. _

_If you don't remember chaoter 24, it was in Weiss' POV, going over to it and just reading the last paragraph will help you remember what was going on, no problem. This is a pretty long chapter . . . I meant for it to only be like 3k words, and here I am at 5.5k ._

_Anyway! Enjoy_

_Oh, that reminds me . . . The two previous Easter eggs were found (In Chapter 23)_

_21crashman found the videogame reference, that was the logo for Ruby's Crescent Rose "The Last Thing You Never See" was a reference from Fallout: New Vegas. The logo being from the NCR's First Recon. An elite sniper team._

_Dodongo821 found the harder of the two, which was from Ruby obsessing over Weiss being symmetrical with her twin tails, and also putting white in her own hair. This reference was to Death The Kid from Soul Eater,_

_So, since those were found, there's an Easter egg in here. It's easy to find. Have fun!_

* * *

**_POV: YANG XIAO LONG_**

**_(A Direct Continuation of Chapter 24)_**

**_Chapter 28 – A Step Closer to Pollination_**

"Yang, I need you to be honest with me. By that I mean don't hesitate to say the first thing that comes to mind, I don't want you cushioning your thoughts."

I look over to Weiss, watching her take only her third sip from the punch I got her. I'm actually surprised she isn't coughing after only the third sip. After I poured her cup I snuck a little extra shot in her cup for her from the little bottle I have snuggled away in my top.

"Okay . . . the jig is up. Yes, I've pictured you naked, but only one time, I swear!" I hold back a snicker until I catch a death glare out the corner of my eye from the Ice Queen. She makes it far too easy to mess with her, I swear. "Alright, alright. Stop glaring daggers. What's up?"

I take a moment to flash a final glare to Blake, who is sitting with the one person I wish I would never have to see her near again, Sun Wukong. That monkey boy has been trying his luck with Blake since they met a few months ago, and he has proven to be extremely determined. I know Blake made it clear she wanted to come to the prom with me, and not Sun, but the fact that she is now sitting with him is slowly eating away at me. I would go down there and knock him back to Banana Land, but this is one of those times I need to be there for Weiss. The very first time I need, or even want to be there for her.

"Yang I need to know." I turn my head when Weiss pauses, watching her take a heavier drink from her cup, downing half of it with only a mild shiver and nothing else.

_Wait, when the hell could Ice Queen handle alcohol!? Hm. The more you know._

"Yang. Do you support Ruby and I?"

My eyes widen slightly. To hear Weiss ask that question filled me with a mix of shock, and actually anger for some unknown reason. I suppose because I am still adapting to their relationship. I grip the banister firmly while I lean on it, looking down at the paleness of the back of my hands.

"Not to dodge the question, Weiss, but I wouldn't trust anybody with my baby sis. She's all I have, and even with me being the one trying to protect her, I've hurt her a few times too. When I say I can't trust anybody with her, I mean in general, and I include myself. When Ruby first moved in with us, I had to keep close to her because she was just so hyper and rebellious, and always trying to find some way to run away . . . she wanted her mom back and must have thought that by running away and surviving on her own like her mom did, that she'd earn some rite of passage that would bring her back. During that timeframe I started to show Ruby that it's not easy out there. Each time she'd try to sneak out she was met with a punch either to her face or stomach, and believe me . . . she was out in one hit each time. I hurt Ruby plenty in our childhood, and because of that I refuse to let her be hurt anymore. I don't know what she's gone through emotionally. My mom disappeared, but I know she's alive, and even then she disappeared while I was going to Signal, so I was a little sturdier emotionally since I was older. I won't let anybody hurt her. Never again."

I clench my fists, feeling my grip slowly going through the wooden banister and start to break it with light cackling sounds that become more constant while my grip continues to grow stronger. A tap to my back makes me flinch and loosen my grip, moving my hands away from the banister and looking at the deformed wood. I turn my head to see Weiss keeping her hand on my back and smiling, with her left hand holding out the rest of her drink to me.

"Here, you need this a little more than I do right now." She whispers, gesturing for me to take her cup, but I shake my head instead.

"I don't, but thanks." I smile, taking a deep inhale through my nose, and a loud, sharp exhale from my mouth. "I never answered your question. Yes, I do support the two of you. You've done nothing wrong to my baby sis, and I trust you more with her than I do myself, but I still won't hesitate to hospitalize you the moment you do something to hurt her."

"Good, if I ever hurt Ruby. I'll beat myself mentally, and you can beat me physically." Weiss looks at me with a brief stare, showing her seriousness to her words before standing upright, tilting her head back, and chugging the rest of the drink down and holding the cup out to me. "May I have another?"

Again, I look at the prim and proper heiress with complete shock. Chugging down spiked punch is no big accomplishment, but when you're as 'straight edge' as Weiss comes off to be, then it becomes a big deal.

"Weiss, how did you-"

"Just because I carry myself as a proper lady should does not mean I have not enjoyed the delinquency and juvenile act of consuming alcohol . . . I am a teenager just as everybody else, despite being far more mature for my age."

"There's the Ice Queen I know! I thought you were someone else for a moment." I tease, taking the cup from her and starting to walk towards the staircase.

"I might as well be without Ruby nearby." I hear her mumble

_Here I thought Ruby was the lost puppy . . . more points to you, Weiss._

I quietly walk down the steps, glaring past the crowd at Blake and Sun, the two involved in some conversation. What could that monkey boy have to talk about that's so interesting anyway? Or rather, something so interesting that Blake is actually listening. I let out several, unrepeatable combinations of curses that would make Ruby go wide eyed, Weiss go into shock, and Blake's ears wiggle underneath her bow. I am quick at getting to the punch bowl, but decide simply carrying two drinks won't be enough I set down three cups in a tight triangle, filling each one about an inch from the top. I then take one more and fill it up to the same amount. I place the three cups in my hand, holding them in the triangle shape I organized them into before placing the fourth cup right on top of the other three, directly in the center.

As I begin to walk back I make use of my free hand to push anyone in front of me aside, few even shouting in disapproval, at least until they see who it was that shoved them. My reputation both in the training arena, and in my social life around Beacon keeps me very well known, though more for the latter.

As I make my way back up the steps, Weiss is standing at the top, carefully taking two of the cups from me before I can even utter a word.

"Nice of you to bring extras, but I could have helped." She says in more of a scolding way, rather than a thankful way.

"I was under the impression that princesses aren't meant to lift a finger." I grin while I walk passed her and back to our earlier spot in the center of the balcony.

"If I were that royal, than you wouldn't be talking to me right now you classless barbarian."

I look over my shoulder at Weiss who flashes me a playful smirk.

"That's so funny I forgot to laugh." I roll my eyes, placing one of the cups in my hand on the floor and starting to sip from the other.

"Wasn't meant to be funny. Only Ruby calls me Princess. Just like only Blake calls her Little Red, and you are the only one to call Blake any synonym for a cat."

"Wow, you cherish her nickname for you that much, eh?" I ask, trying to prod a little more into Weiss to find out just how much she cares for my sister.

"I cherish anything that Ruby does to differentiate herself from everybody else. Her childish attitude, her leadership skills, that puffy-cheeked face she makes whenever she pouts. I've liked Ruby for a while, Yang. Possibly from halfway through our semester, and Blake, up till now has been the only one to know that I've liked Ruby for that long, now you're the second."

_She's liked Ruby that long and never said a thing? And more importantly Blake knew this for who knows how long and never told Ruby!? What the hell!_

"Weiss, I had no idea that you were . . . fond of my sis for that long." I look at Weiss, for the first time tonight she has her back towards the large front door, abandoning her wait for Ruby it seems, at least for this instant.

"There are things none of you know about me, and as much as I would like to keep it that way forever, I feel eventually it may need to come out, as a respect to us being teammates, and more so to the four of us being friends – and a girlfriend in Ruby's case."

"Yeah, well. Could always start now while you're getting tipsy. Always easier to talk on a buzzed brain." I shrug, chugging down the rest of my cup after taking several baby sips from it.

"I don't know a shortened version of how to tell of my past, Yang. I rather not start telling just for you to grow bored and cease to listen as I spill my guts like a taxi-cab confession."

"Weiss, we haven't always seen eye to eye . . . okay, we've never seen eye to eye, at least not until you started to date my sister. If you were to try to tell me this a month ago, I would have laughed and walked away. Right now, however, all I know is that you've been making Ruby happy, she's been making you happy, and in turn, I have been happier. Call me selfish, and actually, it is selfish, but helping you get this off your chest will make you happier, and that will make Ruby happier, which will make me happier, and a happy Yang is a happy everyone."

"As much as I would love to poke at all the holes in that Yang-centered logic of yours, I do want to get this off my chest, so here goes."

Weiss begins talking to me about how she was raised up. Being the first daughter of her parents, with a little sister soon to follow – Winter Schnee. Weiss grew up being smothered by top of the line teachings, and never being allowed to step a foot out of her family's mansion without having someone accompany her. In most cases she chose for it to be the family driver, who was also a butler, cook, repairman, and anything else they needed of him. His name was Sebastian, and according to Weiss he has always been one hell of a butler. Anytime she wished to go out of the estate and into town, he was the one to follow without her even needing to search and find him. She was soon free to go wherever she wished because she had someone who would blindly follow her without displaying a sign of dissatisfaction.

However, when Weiss turned 16 she was restricted from going outside, instead needing to learn every detail there was to know about the family business. From their income, trade partners, and shipping departures. All the way down to the names of the smalltime dust stores that they supplied. She was put through tougher educational values than both her parents had ever gone through, and lost the social skills she grew from her many happy trips into town, instead having them replaced with teachings of proper etiquette, and to know just how much weight her last name held. On her 17th birthday Weiss was able to take on fencing, convincing her father that it would benefit the company to have the heiress using a weapon that utilizes the substance their company creates, and with that her father introduced her to his old weapon Myrtenaster, a standard rapier that ran on dust. After several modifications it was now able to chamber multiple types of dust, as well as work in harmony with her semblance – her ability to use glyphs coming from her father. Half a year later she made up her mind that she did not want to just be a the heir to a company, and in rebellion to her parents she set out to become a huntress, even changing from wearing her braid straight down her back to over her shoulder as her way of breaking the perfect symmetry her parents desired her to have.

I wanted to question Weiss about the scar above her left eye, but being in state of borderline tears she is in while she tells me this story, I figure it to be best just to leave it be for now. As a matter of fact, I did not realize how long she and I have been talking until I see her finishing her second cup of punch, and being that she has been slowly sipping at it the entire time, it means we have been talking for quite a while.

". . . so yeah, I have not had the greatest life, Yang. Even wearing twintails makes me cringe at the thought that I am symmetrical, just as my parents wanted me to be, but it's for Ruby, and that makes it bearable."

I nod my head, finishing the second cup of mine I brought up, "I had no idea, Weiss. I always thought you were just a spoiled brat that thought herself better than everyone."

"I am, Yang. But I was taught to be that way. Anyway, I see Blake getting up." I look over, seeing Blake sliding out of her seat and starting to walk until Sun stops her briefly. "Go at least let her know you are thinking of her."

"Weiss, Blake and I aren't-"

"Not yet. Ruby and I saw the hickey on Blake's neck. There's no need to hide it from me."

"Ruby saw it!?" I facepalm myself, unable to imagine what Ruby must be thinking after seeing the mark I placed on Blake.

"She did, and she asked Blake to take care of you." I look at Weiss with an expression of shock written on my face.

"Ruby really did that?" I ask, amazed that my little sis would be looking out for me like that. I definitely owed her one.

"Yeah, and look . . . ask Blake out tonight."

"She's turned me down so many times already, I rather not have it happen again, especially on prom. I rather try tomorrow."

"Yang . . . ask her out . . . tonight" Weiss' glare reverts back to the stern stare of her heiress nature. "She won't say no to you, as a matter of fact, even if you do it tomorrow she won't say no, but for the sake of showing her you have some form of class, do it tonight. Now go, she's making her way through the crowd, hurry up so you can surprise her." Weiss commands of me, shoving me to the stairs before I continue to follow the momentum she placed in me. I quickly jog down the steps, walking my way to the punch bowl and seeing Blake there, gazing around at what to drink. I work my way behind her, seeing her eying the punch and quickly sneak up to her before whispering.

"Don't drink the punch." I wrap my arms around her, gazing upwards to Weiss who is looking at the door, but nods her head, and gives a thumbs up. She has really good peripheral vision.

"I am well aware you spiked the punch, Yang. Sun-"

_UGH! Must you mention that blond monkey!? My first time seeing you tonight and that's the first name you gotta call out! Sun Sun Sun, why can't he go back on that ship he snuck here on?_

"Yeah, well . . . Weiss is about to be on her third cup," I lie, she already finished her third. "No, I'm not getting her drunk. I just want her to air out a bit. Ruby isn't here yet and she's doing her best to keep happy. I wanted to spend the night with you, y'know. Believe me this is not how I had the evening planned."

_Although I have become a lot closer with Weiss . . . so it's somehow been a success for one reason or the other I guess._

Now Blake goes into how I should trust Weiss, let her come down and socialize, and blah blah blah. Blake has no idea how much I just want to shush her with a kiss right now. The only reason Weiss and I were up there was to keep an eye out for Ruby, and have a private conversation between the two of us, although that conversation was done for now.

"Anyway, let me get a cup of soda or something, and I'll get back to Sun."

_Why must you say his name so much!?_

"Why don't you come upstairs with me and Weiss? Nothing says only two people are allowed on the balcony." I cross my toes, hoping she gets my gesture.

"Would be a bit rude to just leave him, Yang. Plus I think it's a good bonding experience for you and Weiss. Who knows, you may even start feeling more comfortable with her dating Ruby." I feel her gently prying my arms from around her.

_You have no idea how comfortable I feel with her dating Ruby right now, Blake. Weiss is as close a match for Ruby as you are for me._

"Oh, hold that thought!" I quickly go underneath the table to open a cooler I stashed with a half full carton of milk. I pull a cup over, filling it up to the top and handing it to Blake before stashing the carton again.

"Thanks, Yang. You didn't spike the milk too, now did you?" she asks with that teasing grin of hers.

_Unfortunately not._

"Nope, aside from the water, I think that's the only thing that isn't spiked."

"So you spiked the soda too?"

_Actually, spiking the soda was Pyrrha's idea._

"No! . . . Yes. I didn't want prom to be all dull. I mean, look around! Everyone is giggling, having fun, and just enjoying themselves" I bite my lip, stiffening a giggle as I see Jaune in his dress, making an appearance in the distance over Blake's shoulder, ". . . actually." I start to giggle, unable to hold back at the sight. Blake looks at me in confusion, eventually turning around herself to see what was so funny that I had to stop in mid-sentence to giggle at.

"Well, I think they look cute together. Pyrrha will make a good husband."

I feel a tear slip out the corner of my eye as I start to laugh harder than earlier. My kitty was making jokes!

"Blake Belladonna, are you gaining a sense of humor!?"

"Just hush up and tell Weiss to come down. If you're worried about losing her, just sit her near the stairs. Neptune's over there, and I'm sure he'll be more than happy to talk to her."

"Doesn't Neptune like Weiss?" I raise an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Yes he does, but I'm sure you trust Weiss. Just like you trust me talking to Sun." The grin Blake sends me as she walks away makes me realize that she has been aware of my jealousy and my stares at the two of them all night. She's been taking the chance to mess with me yet again.

"Damnit Blake!" I shout out as she walks away, letting out a loud sigh as I quickly make my way back up the stairs to see Weiss waiting for me at the top of the landing again.

"Hey, Weiss. Blake wanted me to ask you to head down and socialize with Neptune a bit, I guess to get your mind off of everything."

"Psh, the only thing that would accomplish is making Ruby jealous when she finally decides to show up . . . if she shows up at all that is." Weiss begins to walk down the steps, and I walk next to her, matching her pace.

"Knowing my sis, if she knew you were drinking and talking with Neptune, she'd take the first chance to get you away from him and get you back to the dorm."

_Actually . . . _

"Weiss." I grab her by the shoulders, quickly pushing her against the wall. My aura beginning to flare as I stare into her eyes. "How much do you like Ruby?"

"That hurt you brute! And we already established that. I will do anything for her." Her focused stare on me bring a smile to my lips. I know just how to repay my sis for watching out for me, and for Ice Queen's helpful information.

"What about TO her?" I smirk, Weiss' eyes widening, then shifting to confusion. "Yes, Weiss . . . in _that_ way."

"Y-Yang, I don't know if you are drunk, or just trying to bait out something to randomly punch me on, but I do not appreciate it. And to be quite honest I would not have the courage to make the first move, even with the alcohol starting to settle into my system. One more and I'll start to giggle, I can feel it."

"Weiss. Just don't make the first move. I'll feel better about myself if you don't, but do me a favor. Go talk with Neptune, get that fourth drink in you, and just go with the flow from here on out."

"Yang, what are implying?" Weiss raises an eyebrow at me. I take a deep breath, placing a hand on Weiss' shoulder.

"I'm trusting you, Weiss. Don't make me regret it." I look over my shoulder, seeing a girl enter the area. For some reason she looks familiar, but I can't really make it out just yet, then when I see a brief disappearance in a flurry of rosepetals, my eyes go wide and I quickly rush Weiss to go downstairs while I make my way back up to where I have been standing the entire night.

I see Ruby in the center of the dance floor, looking around for Weiss. I raise my arms, my gesture not taking long to be noticed by my baby sis who disappears again, appearing at the bottom of the stairwell to the other side of the room from the one Weiss is at, disappearing again and leaving more rosepetals left in her previous spot, her reappearance being at the top of the steps, and then she does it once more to end up next to me.

"Yang! Where's Weiss?" My sister asks in such a rushed tone.

"Oh, Weiss? She went down to chill. I think she's chatting it up with Neptune. Oh, as a matter of fact there they are, looks like he just got her a drink." I point to the bottom of the stairs, smiling to see Neptune acting so chivalrous and proper, making it that much easier to spark the jealousy in my sister.

"Yang! Why'd you let her sit with Neptune!?" Ruby looks at me with concern in her eyes. "Everyone in Remnant can tell he likes her!"

"Hey, don't be mad at me. I kept her up here for a while. Not my fault she wants to socialize at a party she helped organize. I guess what Weiss says is true . . . 'you may be fast, but you excel at wasting time'." My comment does just what I needed it to, get Ruby to realize that there is nobody to blame for the situation but herself, and in turn she darts off to go grab her girlfriend from what she would consider a threat to her relationship, although Weiss is far too in love for that.

I quietly trail behind, getting to the bottom of the steps just in time to hear Ruby tell Neptune to stay away from Weiss. Out the corner of my eye I can see Sun starting to advance towards my sister, and I quickly take a step forward, ready to intercept him, but Blake holds out her arm to keep him back.

_Just when I thought I would get a valid reason to bash his head in!_

I shake my head, looking back at Ruby to see her looking into Weiss eyes, and if that wasn't enough, my sister decides to enter a quick liplock with the resident Snow Heiress. I stand there in momentary shock, watching Ruby quickly take Weiss into her arms to lead her out of the dance. Before they turn the corner after leaving the building, I can see Weiss look over her shoulder, and make a brief, split second of eye contact with me.

_Alright, Weiss. I'll make my move, gosh._

I make my way towards where Blake is. The cute faunus girl noticing me immediately and walking towards me.

"Yang . . . I made a mistake with telling you to let Weiss talk with Neptune . . . I should have thought about how Ruby gets." Blake looks at me with worried eyes, why does she think she's responsible for this? I'll clear it up with her later.

"I'm totally lost . . . Weiss is gay?" I look over Blake's shoulder, seeing Sun walking over with confusion written all over his face.

"Actually, Weiss may be bisexual, not sure. Ruby is the lesbian." I answer him bluntly. He's the last person I want around me and Blake right now.

"Wow . . . sucks to be Neptune, man. He is, was, and may still be head over heels for Weiss . . . He's my friends, but can't say I would want to be in his shoes at all."

"Well, that sucks for you, Sun." I say, staring him straight in the eyes. I can see Blake snap her gaze to me the moment I say that, I guess she was thinking the same thing, but I have something far worse than just telling Sun. I plan on leaving him just like Neptune.

"What!? Don't tell me you two are going out too!" He groans, placing his right hand on the back of his head.

"No, we're not." I answer, placing my left hand on Blake's right hip, starting to slide my arm to her back and gently bring her closer to me. I look over to the stunned Neptune. The poor soul just starting to recover from the shock. I look down at Blake, giving her my confident grin, and whispering in a voice so low, that even someone right next to me would need to ask for me to repeat myself.

"Blake, will you go out with me?"

I watch as her eyes widen, and her lips part in surprise to my question. I shift my eyes back to Sun, giving Blake time to answer my question, hopefully Weiss was right and Blake will say yes, otherwise my plan is about to fail and embarrass me, but what else is new? I'm a risk taker, it's always all or nothing.

"That's a relief. Blake, want to hang out tomorrow?" Sun asks, taking a step closer to us.

I bite my lower lip, feeling my aura flare, but Blake's hand tapping my shoulder – that wordless symbol between us for her to tell me to calm down – makes me take a small breath and watch as she looks over her shoulder the monkey faunus.

"As tempting an offer as that is, Sun. I am interested in somebody else." Blake says in her usual monotone, but I can feel her purring from my hand resting on her back.

"What? Who would that be? You don't really socialize much. I mean . . . it took you three days to actually hold a conversation with me."

"Oh, you actually know 'em. They make awful jokes, blonde hair, has a very special charm." I begin to blush a little, looking at Blake while she speaks to Sun.

"That Jaune Arc guy? He's looks like a nice guy . . . but he seems a little too . . . average. Plus, the crossdressing thing doesn't really work for him."

"True enough. I guess I'll have to settle for another blonde." Blake says, giving Sun a smile, but the gentle caress I can feel her giving my shoulder reassures me.

"Heh, really?" Sun asks, giving off that arrogant, toothy grin of his. The same grin he flashed Blake when he ran by us from the docks . . . ever since then I've wanted to bash his teeth out of his mouth and make him drink banana smoothies for months.

"Mhm, so, how does . . . 5 days from now – Friday, sound for a good day for a date?" Blake gives my shoulder a quick series of taps, and just as Sun starts to respond I begin to cut in.

"That sou-" He starts

"That sounds great, Blake." I smile down at her, though she still is looking at Sun.

"Yang, I think she was talking to me." Sun says with a mild hostility in her voice.

"Yeah, Yang. I was talking to Sun . . . what makes you think you had a chance with me?" Blake growls, turning to look at me and wink so Sun can't see.

"Sorry, Yang. Looks like one of us will be lonely tonight." I seriously want to bash in his skull now!

"Too bad it's not who you think, Sun." Blake whispers to him, her arm moving up from my shoulder and wrapping around my neck. I look down at Blake, smiling at her. "Yes, Yang . . . I'll go out with you." She says just before leaning up to press her lips to mine. I tighten my grip on her waist, placing my other hand on her upper back. We keep the kiss brief, holding it to the same amount of time Ruby had with Weiss.

"Well, it's only 9 o'clock . . . wonder what you two broken hearted boys will be doing for the next three hours." I smile, looking over to the small group of people who saw the kiss, and immediately flare my aura. The same instant they all look away, and I begin to start walking up the stairs with Blake in my arms, leaving Sun and Neptune to cry their hearts out together.

"About time you asked me out again, Yang." Blake says to me as we reach the top of the steps, but in a happier tone than her usual monotone.

"Yeah, well. I had to look at things in a different way first . . . as a matter of fact, let me send out a quick message to Ruby . . . I hope you'll be staying with me till midnight. I need to watch over the rest of the party since Weiss left." I say while I take out my scroll from my bra, and begin typing a message to Ruby.

"What are you telling her?"

"Oh, that I'm just the Greatest Sister Ever." I smile, those three words concluding my text. I press send, putting my scroll back in my top. I look up at Blake, quickly placing my arms around her and sitting her on the banister. "And I now have the greatest girlfriend ever." I whisper to her before I lean up to kiss her once more, not caring if the entire room is gazing up at our liplock. I can cease to care what everyone is saying, and Blake appears to be sharing my opinion on the matter, pulling me tighter in the kiss while I hold her lower back firmly to avoid her falling from the balcony.

Blake Belladonna, I will never let you out of my sight.

* * *

About fucking time, right? I know, I know. I think I made things interesting with Bumbleby being the ship to take longer xD Nothing like a little plot twist to keep you guys enjoying the content, and while I am on that subject, as always, leave me a review saying what you liked, what you didn't like.

Give me the pros AND cons. I can't improve if everyone just tells me a good job. Point out a specific sentence you like, or any use of wordplay.


	29. Overprotective and Overpowered

_Hey guys. It is past 2am here, so I technically missed a second day of uploading, but I told myself I would not sleep until I got another chapter out, so here it is._

_Sorry for the delay, and I hope this chapter comes out well in your opinions. I needed to reread the last 3 chapters to make sure I knew exactly where i was. This chapter is more of a setup, leaving a few things hanging in the air for you all to wonder, and tie together with previous chapters. _

_On a side note, I am now over 100 followers on this story, and over 20k views. That is just amazing!_

* * *

**_POV: WEISS SCHNEE_**

**_Chapter 29 – Overprotective and Overpowered_**

_My head . . . what the hell happened last night?_

I open my eyes, needing to wait a moment before the darkness of the room becomes easier to see in, and grants me a gaze at Ruby's adorable, sleeping face. Her hair looks so nice with those white tips, I hope I told her that several times over.

_Wait, why is she in my bed? Ugh, the dolt is just trying to get Yang to kill me. Wait . . . Yang?_

The very light throbs in my head increase while I try to remember what happened last night. It started with my talk with Yang after I had several drinks . . . Ruby took forever to arrive, she truly excels at wasting time, and made a scene at the dance that resulted in her bringing me back to the dorm because she thought I was incapable of being at the party in my tipsy state.

_Come on, Weiss . . . You didn't have enough drinks to forget things,_

I lift a hand up to my temple, rubbing one of the two throbbing areas on my head. I can feel goose bumps forming on my biceps. For once I felt cold, very mildly, but I never felt cold. It's at this point that I become a little more in tune with my body. I don't feel the usual embrace of the soft material of my nightgown, and to verify this I reach for my shoulder and feel the lack of a spaghetti strap. My eyes widen, and I reach down to run my fingers down my body, feeling bare flesh the entire way. As if by some knowledge of unknown magic, I throw my covers off, expecting to see myself clothed in my white nightgown as I always am. Needless to say that my expectations were utterly crushed.

For that brief moment I forget that Ruby is right next to me. The sleeping girl is of the least of my concerns at this moment. As a matter of fact, all I want is to find my nightgown, wherever it is and put it on. I make an attempt to sit up but my necklace tugs at my neck after I move so far. I look at my necklace, seeing then tied over Ruby's. It is at this moment that a rush of images floods my mind, reminding me in detail of the taboo that took place last night.

I reach to the back of my neck to unclip my necklace so I may go to the bathroom, but a swift hand reaches out to my shoulder and pulls me in. I look through the darkness and see Ruby staring right into my eyes.

"I told you, Weiss. You aren't going anywhere without me." My girlfriend whispers, wrapping her arms around me, and even going so far as to hook her leg over my rear.

She did this just before we slept, but it seems she turned a little and released me somewhere during her sleep. She pulls me against her form, our breasts, stomachs and foreheads touching. Satisfied with herself, Ruby then reaches down for the covers and tosses them back over me, hiding our bodies underneath the blanket. She feels so warm, but a shiver that erupts from her disheartens me. For a time I forgot that my body brings nothing but the embrace of winter.

"Ruby, I don't want you freezing just because you wish to hold me."

"Don't be so dramatic, Princess. We both know your body isn't that cold. I'm just not so use to sleeping naked, I feel colder than usual." Ruby smiles before brushing her nose over mine. I give her a brief nod of my head, surprising her when I tilt my head to stop our noses and foreheads from touching, and treat her to a very brief kiss.

"Thank you." I murmur while wrapping my arms around her petite form and burying my face at the area between her neck and chest. I begin relaxing my thoughts and muscles. Ruby quickens my escape into the dream world when she reaches her hand to the back of my head and begins to brush her and over my hair. Surprisingly she is leaving my twintails alone, which must be a complete disaster right now, and leaves me to drift away. I have no idea what time it is right now, but hopefully the next time I wake up it will be early enough that Yang is still sleeping, but late enough that it won't be out of the ordinary for me to step into the shower.

* * *

I open my eyes, looking at a still sleeping Ruby ahead of me. It is still dark, but not as dark as earlier, as a matter of fact the sun could be rising within the next hour or so. Unfortunately I can still feel Ruby pressed tightly against me with her arms and legs holding me as close as possible. First things first, I reach behind my neck and undo my necklace, this time without Ruby's hand darting out to stop me.

_I'd love to lay with you until the sun comes up, Ruby . . . but I need to shower._

I sigh softly, carefully moving her arm from me, then her leg, pausing every time she makes a slight noise or movement. I look over my shoulder, seeing both Blake and Yang are asleep and decide now is the time to make my move. I push the blanket off of me, and roll over to get my feet off of the bed and onto the floor. The moment my feet touch the floor I get off of the bed and go into my top drawer, wasting no time with taking out a clean pair of panties, a bra, then going into the drawer below and pulling out an ice blue nightgown with white snowflakes.

I look back at Ruby who is still sleeping, but after I slipped free from her loving embrace she rolled over and is now hogging all of the covers, not that I mind, as a matter of fact, the thought of having my blankets smothered by her natural scent makes me eager to sleep tonight and dream of her. That's not weird is it? I mean, I'm sure girls wear their partner's jackets and stuff to remember their smell . . . so it's totally normal, right?

I shake my head of my thoughts. There is a better time to wonder just how unhealthy my love for Ruby is, and it certainly is not now while I am standing in the room completely naked with a bra, a nightgown, and a pair of panties in my hand. I quickly make my way to the bathroom, being very careful as I tread by Blake and Yang's book-supported bunk beds. I slip into the bathroom unnoticed, and carefully close the door behind me.

"That's a relief." I whisper to myself and make my way over to the bathtub. I set the water to run, memorizing that my ideal temperature happens when I turn the cold water knob 1/3rd of a full rotation, and the hot water knob 1/4th. Memorizing these things saves plenty of time with showers, especially since I do not need to revert to the usual guess and check method that I'm sure Yang and Ruby must use.

Before climbing in I look to the wall rack, making sure my ice-blue towel with my emblem embedded on it in white is hanging. I see it is on the end of the rack furthest from the shower, and correct that by placing it on top of Yang's towel whose is closest, which makes sense since Yang was the last person to shower yesterday.

_There we go._

I smile to myself, pushing the burgundy curtain aside and climbing into the shower. The water was just as I liked it. The type of cold that is cherished on a hot day, and sends the very mildest of shivers down the spine, although rarely did I shiver in the shower unless I was out in the heat during the worst season of all – summer.

Truthfully, I enjoy the some of the festivities of summer, but I hate the heat itself that defines the season. I honestly can't wait for the summer vacation (Which is well over 6 months away since it is fall). I'm sure Ruby will try to make the team do something together, most likely a beach day or a picnic. I'd rather have the beach day, mainly because I could make some attempt to tan my pale complexion, although for some reason my skin is capable of battling away any sort of UV rays, and whatever tan I manage to get fades within two weeks of not being exposed to focused sunlight. Though, I suppose the real reason for preferring a beach day is to see just what kind of bathing suit Ruby would wear. I quickly shake my head, getting the thoughts of the many combinations of outfits Ruby could wear during a beach visit out of my head.

_Get it together, Weiss. You came in here to clean your body, not further dirty your mind._

I let out a soft sigh, reaching for the washcloth I leave hanging over the bar that holds up the shower curtain and let the cloth get soaked with water. I take a moment to grab the soap, lathering up the washcloth and step to the far end of the tub, away from the water so I can begin lathering up my body, starting with my inner thighs since I feel they are the dirtiest – for obvious reasons. I then work my way up my torso and lower back, making sure I am covered by the many thin, white streaks of soap suds before stepping back into the water and letting it wash away all of dirt, sweat, and dried juices on my body from yesterday. I watch as the washed away suds spiral down the drain, swirling in a tiny vortex before disappearing completely.

I turn the middle knob of the shower, changing the flower of water from the showerhead back down to the tub, then turning off the water. I open the shower curtain to find my towel and try myself. I step out of the tub, only my hair left wet, but I do not wish to wake everyone up with the sound of the hairdryer, so instead I will let it drip dry. It takes me seconds to dress myself and leave the bathroom, but the moment the door opens there is a hand to my lips and I am pressed firmly to a wall. The darkness of the room doesn't allow me to see who it is just yet, but after a moment I can make out the faint glow of Yang's yellow locks of hair. When my look of surprise and fear changes to anger and annoyance, I see a smile on her lips before slowly moving her hand away.

"She said yes." Yang whispers to me, looking over at a still sleeping Blake to clarify what she meant. I nod my head, grabbing Yang by the wrist and leading her out the room with me, but not before grabbing my scroll from the dresser. I carefully close the door behind us and fold my arms.

"That couldn't have waited? You scared the living hell out of me, Yang. Also, congrats." I say with a sigh. I can only imagine how happy Yang must have felt. She's been pursuing Blake for who knows how long, and has gone through the rejection process many times. I was fortunate enough to ask out Ruby once and get the answer I was seeking, and even then I was beyond elated at her answer.

"Nope, heard the shower and when I peeked over you were missing, so I decided to wait for you to finish up to tell you before Ruby." Yang smiles, but then I can feel a shift in her attitude. Within the same instant her left hand goes over my lips once more, and with her right she delivers an excruciatingly painful hook to my left arm. The immense pain making the limb go numb while I let out a muffled cry of pain into her hand. Immediately after the punch she uses the same arm that delivered the punch to hug me, leaving me in a pass of confusion as tears fill my eyes and begin rolling down my cheeks.

"That's for sleeping with my sister." She whispers into my ear, gently rubbing my back.

_You gave me the okay to, you brute!_

"I know what you're thinking Weiss . . . I encouraged it last night, but consider that I only punched your arm instead of murdered you just now. Like I said . . . I am protective of her, and when I saw the clothes on the floor when I got back with Blake, she had to hold me back from yanking you into the hallway then and there. Well, actually I told her to be ready to stop me." As Yang speaks I do my best to calm my breathing and move my unresponsive arm. I can feel the numbing expanding throughout, but despite my clear gestures of pain, all Yang does is caress my back. Nothing more, and nothing less. It is as if she is in a trance of some kind. It is only when I try to pull myself away from her, but her grip doesn't waiver, or strengthen, that I realize she is lost in herself.

"Weiss . . ." She whispers, taking a step away to look me in the eye. Her hand no longer caressing my back, but her left is still over my lips, "If you hurt her-"

Hearing those four words ignites a fire in me, and with my right hand I slap her hand off of my lips with the back of my hand, and follow up by swinging my arm with an open palm in the other direction, making an echoing impact with her cheek. Her head doesn't turn, but the redness from my palm begins to form, and I am left with the shocked, wide-eyed, jaw dropped face of Yang as she stares at me.

"You listen to me you inconsiderate . . . insecure . . . barbaric . . . opprobrious . . . sophomoric . . . thick skulled imbecilic ignoramus!" I snarl, stepping forward as I speak, and making the block step backwards in more of shock than fear. "If you EVER mouth that I would hurt Ruby purposefully, then I will not hesitate to raise my fists to you. I will get destroyed there is no doubt of that, but I will not settle for you, or anybody else claiming my love for Ruby to be so little that I would hurt her." I stare into Yang's lilac eyes, even when I slapped her they kept their relaxed color. "Now if you'll excuse me, my girlfriend may wake up soon, and I think it would be nice if she didn't have to go far to find herself some clothes to wear."

I stomp off to the door, using my scroll to open it before tossing it to Yang. Just because I am pissed at her does not mean I will lock her out the room. Whether I like it or not, she is my girlfriend's sister, and I will not let a petty argument escalate further because I took it further than needed. Which I know I have a habit of doing, but I suppose I could ATTEMPT to tone it down with Yang . . . but not by much.

As I enter the room I look at the floor near Yang and Blake's side of the room, seeing both mine and Ruby's discarded clothing, but they are not scattered as they were yesterday, instead they are pushed against Blake's bookshelf with my nightgown folded sharply on top. No doubt it was Blake who moved them. I will need to thank her later since I would not have the courage to touch anybody else's. I then turn my gaze to the other side of the room. Ruby is still sleeping soundly, I am glad.

I walk over to her dresser to find a pair of panties and a bra for her. I end up taking out a black pair of panties with red lining, and a bra of the same design. I place them next to the bed on my dresser, then go back into her drawers to find one her tank tops, and a pair of jogging shorts to go with them. The top being black with a dark red heart in the middle, and the shorts being black with red strings. I take them both, placing them on my dresser as well. I have no idea when Ruby will be waking up, but I sit at the edge of the bed and patiently wait, my mind beginning to wander of what the future may hold.

"Weiss . . . I'm sorry"

I shake my head, snapping out of my daze and look straight ahead of me to see Yang looking at me.

_How long has she been there?_

"Look . . . I know you wouldn't hurt my sis . . . I just picture her as happy as she is now, and to think at some point that may just disappear." I hold my hand up to Yang and shake my head.

"We can talk later . . . Let Ruby sleep." I whisper, standing up and walking up to Yang before giving her a quick hug while leaning up to her ear. "Just . . . let it go for now. The moment is over, and we both got our thoughts across. I did not mean to slap you, but you will be explaining the black and blue that will be forming on my arm, and why I can barely move it." I let go of the hug, looking at my left arm that has become numb while I was lost in my thoughts.

"Yeah . . . I'll copy Blake's notes into your book." Yang whispers, looking at my arm, my index, ring, and middle fingers twitching slightly. "I may be able to fix it a bit . . . heat therapy and all that junk."

"Yang . . . let it go." I sigh and sit back down on my bed. I look over my shoulder at Ruby, smiling at her sweet face while she sleeps. I can hear Yang's footsteps fade, prior to the squeaking of her mattress as she hops onto her bed. I lift my left arm onto my lap, debating if I should trust Yang's heat therapy or not.

I decide to finally look at the clock on Blake's bookshelf, seeing the time is 5:30. It is way earlier than I thought, but with the pain in my arm I doubt I could fall back to sleep. So, without anything else to do, I stand up, go into my closet to get my usual white dress on followed by my heels and Myrtenaster (which I always keep in the room. I don't trust the school lockers), and make my way out the room for a walk, hoping Ruby or Blake will wake up soon and call me on my scroll.

_This is going to be a long day, Weiss._

* * *

So, be honest and give me your review, guys. I feel like it was a weak chapter (Compared to like my last 5), but at the same time it is sort of the calm after a storm, so there is not really much to work on. After a big event like the prom, I guess I need to reestablish the hype since it's all cooled off.

As always, thank you for your view, review, favorite, and follow. It's been a nice experience typing this up!


	30. A Fall From Haven

_Mwahahahahah, Mystery POV! Fear my mysteriousness unfolded! _

_Hope you all will enjoy this chapter :D _

* * *

**_POV: ?_**

**_Chapter 30 – A Fall From Haven_**

Another early morning for me, but what else is new? It's been like this for as far as I can remember. I am the first one wake, sometimes the first to be asleep, and always the one to be outside during the darkened mornings, and today is no different. I am wearing a dark-grey uniform top that has white linings and a white collar. It is very conservative, covering up anything from below my neck. To cover my lower half is a flannel skirt that alternates between light-grey, dark grey, and black. I prefer sporting the dress I wore to the dance last night, but wearing something like for a casual walk is not a very wise decision.

I must say, the party last night was rather lovely. Had I known a little earlier that the punch was spiked I probably would not be outside taking a walk so early in the morning. It's roughly 5:45 at the moment, and I am just arriving at the large fountain within the academy, surprised to see a familiar face sitting at one of the benches that circle around the fountain.

_Hmmm, Weiss Schnee what are you doing out here so early?_

I get a mild grin across my lips as I approach her. She appears to be in a mild daydream-like state, but as I sit down next to her and move my hair over my left shoulder I can gaze more easily to my right – which is where Beacon's Snow Heiress is compared to me – she feels the slight movement on the bench and turns her head to face me, giving me an awkward look.

"Um, may I help you?" She asks me, and as I watch her body language during her question, she appears to be favoring her left arm, lifting it by grabbing her wrist with her right hand and cradling it to her body before resting her right forearm underneath in a more natural gesture. After a closer look I realize that her entire left arm is a slightly darker shade than the rest of her body, meaning that it suffered a very heavy bruise and is possibly unresponsive at the moment, though I decide not to prod into it for now. It will come up during the conversation, I am certain.

"Well, normally when you see someone spaced out this early in the morning, there is something wrong, am I incorrect?" I smile, turning my head to look at her.

"I suppose it depends just how social and friendly one is . . . I am not one to assist a random stranger, so I do not expect the same treatment." She looks back at the fountain after her response.

"I see . . . does it have to do with your girlfriend? I mean, she is your girlfriend, right?" I grin, seeing her eyes go wide and her cheeks flush, although she keeps looking ahead of her, not turning her head to meet my intrigued and focused stare.

"I am not sure who, or what you are referring to . . . I don't even know who you are." She looks at me, switching the conversation and becoming defensive after my purposeful prodding.

"I am not judging you. I could care less what the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company does with her romantic life. I am just trying to help a confused peer. Before you ask, I'm sure you are well aware several people saw that girl kiss you, myself included." My calm and relaxed tone seeming to help ease the tension I built a few seconds ago.

"I was hoping not too many saw, and if you MUST know. It is not a conflict with my girlfriend. It is actually with one of my teammates who is nothing further than an inconsiderate barbarian." The usual leveled, high-class attitude she speaks with fades into a slight anger, along with an increase in speed with her words. I raise my hand to her, moving it in an up and down motion as a gesture for her to relax and lower her voice.

"Is your teammate the reason you are favoring your left arm? It better have been a woman who did it, otherwise I will bring it upon myself to resolve the 'barbaric' actions of your teammate." I squint at her, gauging her reaction to my words to determine if her next words will be truth or lie.

"My entire team is female, but thank you for the concern. I just wish she knew her own strength. Her punches hurt like hell, and I can't feel my left arm . . . the nerve of her. She is such a brawler!" She is getting louder now, losing her cool, though the word 'brawler' echos in my mind.

"Brawler? Sorry for being nosey, but would she happen to have long blond hair? Comes off as extremely confident?" I make sure to make my voice extra questioning. I don't want to sound too certain, and rather play myself off as mildly dumbfounded as I scour for information.

"Yes, that's her. It seems even to a stranger she comes off as overconfident. I am not surprised in the slightest."

"I see, so you're teammates with the Blonde Brawler of Beacon." I nod my head, looking at the fountain ahead of us. The large statue in the middle looked very lovely at night, but as the sun rises it unfortunately loses the beauty of mystery the darkness adds to it.

"Excuse me?"

"I see, you must not be familiar with The Pit . . . That is the nickname your teammate – Yang Xiao Long if I recall her name correctly – goes by. It makes a lot more sense why your arm is not so responsive. I've heard that her strength is jaw-dropping, although I wouldn't know until I face her myself." A grin begins to cross over my lips.

"Wait, why are you confident you will face Yang?" I can see her eyes focus on me from the corner of my eye. Such a curious girl, showing concern for her teammate despite what was done to her arm.

"Visiting from Haven. I believe I may have the privilege to face your teammate during the tournament. I'm sure she must be the most enthusiastic about it. She's known for never refusing a challenge." I state flatly, taking the brief silence as a chance to close my eyes and lean against the backrest of the bench.

"I see, you're here for the Fall Festival. Do not take this the wrong way, but I doubt you are capable of beating Yang. She's inhuman in most aspects. Her stamina, determination, and power being three of her many astounding features." I hear a soft grunt come from her, and when I turn my head to see what is going on, she is now stood up, holding the injured arm close to her body. "If you'll excuse me, I should probably be heading back to my dorm."

I stand up, flexing my right hand before darting out trained fingers, hitting several pressure points along her arm that cause her fingers to jerk with life for a brief few seconds. The look on her face when she is able to move her fingers briefly brings a light chuckle to my lips.

"Seems like I can get your arm responding again, but I'll need some equipment from my room. If you'll kindly follow me to the East section of Beacon to the visiting dormitories, then I will have your arm perfectly responsive again within 10 minutes." I look at her, seeing the debate in her eyes. Since she is stood up now, I can get a better look at the weapon she has resting on her right hip. It is a rapier, but with a heavily designed hilt, and after a closer inspection I can see that it has several cartridges along the sides, each one filled with a different color of dust.

"You can have my arm moving again?" She asks, uncertainty still present in her voice.

"I was able to get it moving briefly just now, wasn't I? I assure you . . . I won't make any attempts to harm you. If you wish to wait here while I get what I need, so be it, but it will only take longer since I need to carry it back here."

"I see your point. I suppose it couldn't hurt. Are you taking medical classes in Haven or something of the sorts?" while she questions me I stand up and begin to head back towards the East Dorms, answering her question while we walk.

"Actually, what I learned is something specific to my semblance. It's nothing routine, but I have done it many times, mostly on myself after several unfortunate events. I rather not go into detail about them, if that is fine with you. Anyway, that girl from last night. Her name is Ruby, correct?"

"Sometimes a home remedy tends to be better than procedure treatments, and how do you know her name?" She asks, the clicking her heels stopping.

"I was nearby during her slight tantrum to you talking to the goggle-wearing pretty boy. You called her by name at the time, although I do not know her last name." I pause as well, looking over my shoulder while I speak. At my answer Weiss appears to be satisfied and begins to follow me again.

"Her last name is Rose . . . not a name that holds much value if that is what you were looking for. She is just a normal girl, who has an obsession with weapons."

"A true love story it seems. The rich heiress goes far from home and meets her second half . . . rather poetic."

_It's a shame that Ruby Rose is nothing more than a tragic hero at this point._

"Call it what you wish. I am just satisfied that I had the good fortune to be the same team as-"

_Seems the heiress slipped out a little more information than she wanted to . . . same team. That means she shares a team with Yang Xiao Long, and Ruby Rose, and if that blonde is going out with that brunette from last night, then it seems that I all I need to know is a name to pin to that face. This is far easier than expected._

"Anyway, here we are." I say while I push open the door to the large dorm area. After entering and going into the staircase to the immediate right, we travel up one flight of stairs, and enter the dorm right across the hall.

"You two, we have company." I shout as I walk in.

My dorm was very standard, having the black carpeting as all the other dorms I am sure. After entering the room, directly to the left is my bed, against the corner of the room. There are two more beds on the other corners of the room opposite from where the doorway to the room is. Directly to the right is the dresser I share with two others, each of us having one drawer to store that we want, and the bottom drawer is the one I have taken for myself. The dresser is white with a red emblem of some sorts, I've always dismissed it as an emblem for Beacon Academy. Between my bed, and the one on the far left corner of the room is a window with red curtains, and below the window is a two-shelf bookshelf that is filled with several books provided to each room by the academy.

"Um, I don't think anyone else is here." Weiss whispers while I walk over to the dresser, going into the bottom drawer and pulling out a small box. I carry the box with me to my bed and begin opening it to get everything ready.

"It seems so, they must have decided to take a walk like I did. No matter, we will be done in just a moment. Please . . . take a seat." I whisper to her, gesturing to the corner of my bed while I take out a vial of red dust, a roll of bandages, and a clip to hold the bandages together after it is wrapped.

"You use dust for your medical practice?" She asks in curiosity as she sits at the edge of my bed, still cradling the arm to her body.

"Yes, now if you will hold still, this shouldn't take too long." I tell her while I open up the vial. I sit down next to her, leaving the vial open In my left hand while I brush my right over her injured upper arm.

"By the way . . . I never did catch your name." She asks me, I suppose I should tell her.

"You're right, where are my manners." I smile, my amber eyes gaining a faint glow to them while the red dust floats from the vial, forming hundreds of thin needles, nearly invisible to the human eye at any angle.

"My name is Cinder. Now hold still . . . This may hurt just a bit."

* * *

_This is why you don't talk to strangers, Weiss! Q,Q Nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu_


	31. Accidents, Annoyances, and Abductions

_Let me say thank you (as always . . . I know it must be annoying) to everyone who has been following my story. I will like to announce that someone found the easter egg that was hidden away in Chapter 28 immediately after I posted it, but did not say what the quote was, however there was someone recently who quoted the person whose line I derived the easter egg from, but did not follow my instructions._

_To get credit you need to quote the easter egg, and say where it is from. But, to be nice (And I know, I am being technical! But I like being technical . . . it's my thing) I will split the credit between the two of them._

_Shadowmanji found the easteregg immediately, simply stating that it is from Black Butler._

_Charlieseese1031804 quoted "I am simply one hell of a butler" - Sebastian Michaelis. Which is the quote I derived my easter egg from._

_So! Congrats to you two for cracking the case (Damnit Barb!). There is no easter egg in this chapter, but the next easter egg I put out will be another contest to possibly have a scene recommend, or even help me out with a future chapter in the next Arc of my story!_

_Whoever sat here and read all this . . . you are awesome xD and whoever skipped this I don't blame you. Now please enjoy!_

* * *

**_POV: BLAKE BELLADONNA_**

**_Chapter 31 – Accidents, Annoyances, and Abductions_**

Those two must have forgotten that I am a Faunus. A Faunus with incredible hearing at that. I swear, could Weiss have just taken a walk without getting dressed? All the commotion between those two now have me wide awake. Weiss left the room not too long ago, and Yang is on her bed sighing, tossing, and turning. Just because her and I are going out now doesn't mean I won't hesitate to kill her for some peace and quiet . . . I'll just make it quick and painless instead.

"Yang, get down here." I sit up and whisper to the blondie above.

"Oh, you're awake?" Yang says in a rather loud turn, making me reach up and slap the side of her bed.

"Be quiet, you'll wake Little Red, you can whisper, Yang. I can hear mumbles pretty well, forgot?"

"No, I didn't forget." She whispers while sliding off of her bed and landing next to mine with a slight thud, but nothing that loud considering how loud she can be with her landings. "I sorta woke you up, didn't I?"

"Both of you did. What happened between you two?" I ask, moving away from the edge of my bed, giving Yang room to sit down. She does just that, but sits with only one foot on the floor so she can sit sideways to face me, although I take the chance to rest my head in her lap, getting comfortable with the warmth that comes with it.

"Well . . . I sorta went big sister mode again." Yang lets out a nervous giggle, scratching the back of her head while she does so.

"So, you threatened Weiss . . . again. Nothing really new with that. What ELSE happened?" I squint, looking through the dimness in the room to find those lilac eyes.

"Okay, okay. I was calmed down and all. Surprisingly you must have still been sleeping while Weiss and I went out the room-"

"No, I was awake while Weiss showered. It was after you two left that I finally got back to sleep. Not for long it seems, however." I sigh, Yang reaching down to grasp my hand in her own, a slight gesture of apology from my Blonde Brawler.

_I just love the sound of that . . . MY Blonde Brawler._

"I get it, Kittycat. Sorry. Anyway, I sort of was still a bit uneasy about coming in and seeing those two laying together, and all the clothes scattered, so I sort of punched her in the arm." There is a slight whimper in her voice when she says this, meaning there is a bit more to the story than she is letting on.

"And?"

"She can't move her arm right now it seems." Yang looks away from me. The look of disapproval on my face is beyond what I'm normally capable of showing. I sit up, lifting my head from her lap and slide myself to the edge of the bed to sit next to her.

"So you threaten her, and then decide that's not enough, and disable her arm?"

"No, I punched her arm first, then threatened her not to hurt Ruby . . . and she slapped me and said if I ever threaten her with that again, she won't hesitate to fight me . . . even though I'd destroy her. All of that was her words, I swear."

"So, she slapped you because you threatened her not to hurt Ruby? Yang, make sense, it is too early for me to decipher everything."

"Because she saw my threat as me saying she doesn't love Ruby that much . . . and she won't hesitate to fight anyone who would say her love for Ruby is small enough that she'd hurt my sis."

"Hm. Well, at least we know she cares for Little Red enough to slap the puns out of you." I nod my head, earning a dissatisfied look from Yang.

"Very funny, Blake. So, yeah. That's what happened, her arm will heal. I told her I could probably make it heal a little quicker, not by much, but something to help with nonetheless, and she said just let it go for now. I feel bad, it took me until now to realize it, but Weiss is willing to go through hell, and more impressively, through me in order to keep Ruby happy, and what do I do? I punish her for that." I look at Yang, those lilac eyes filling with sadness.

"It's fine, Yang. All we can do is let Weiss calm down a little, and you will apologize to her when she comes back, not complicated at all is it?" I reach my hand out to pull Yang's head into my shoulder, wrapping my other arm around her to hold her close to me. "I'm sure Weiss will cut you a break. She's dealt with your stubbornness so many times, and I think now that she is with Ruby, she has found that it is needed to deal with it a little more because of how you are, but you need to realize that every time you insult and strike Weiss . . . you are hitting your sister's girlfriend . . . and lover, considering what happened last night."

Yang gives a little nod of her head, keeping herself pressed to my shoulder. I brush her blonde hair away from the side of her face, giving her temple a gentle kiss while she lets out soft sighs. Her body has a slight shake to it, although I cannot tell if it is from anger or sadness. Seeing her like this now that we are a couple rips a hole through me, enhancing my feelings for her far more than I may be ready to deal with, but it is a sacrifice that I am far more than willing to take. I begin planting several more kisses to her temple, hoping one of them will register in her mind and get her to calm down.

"Thanks, Blake." I hear her whisper to me. Her voice has a defeated flare to it. Beaten down, and worn out, something Yang has never been physically, but this is all emotional right now. "I need to go say sorry. I'm going to go see if I can find her."

Yang lifts her head from my shoulder and gives me a tight hug, smiling at me with a look of resolve on her face. She stands up, immediately going into her drawer, pulling out a pair of grey jogging pants. Right now she is wearing one of her short sleeve band shirts, and a pair of short shorts. I go slightly wide eyed when Yang stands in front of me, but with her back towards me and bends over, pulling her shorts down and stepping out of them, but adding an extra shake of her hips, making me realize this is all purposeful.

I get a clear view of her black boyshorts, but what catches my eyes are the block wording across the back, 'Treat Me Right'. Those words would normally not catch my eye, but 5 letters of the phrase are yellow, instead of white like the rest of the text. When reading the yellow portion of the text only, it changes from 'Treat Me Right' to 'Eat Me'. The thought making my cheeks redden, and my mind wander as it has done several times in the past, especially after Yang taking an evening to give my ears 'special' attention.

It is not until Yang begins to giggle that I snap out of my trance and look at her, realizing I must have spaced out for quite a bit because she already has her jogging pants up, and is now down on one knee in front of me.

"You okay, Blake? Spaced out a bit there." Yang has the biggest smile on her face, and my wide-eyed expression disappears for one of anger as I stare intently at the blonde.

"Get . . . out . . . now" I growl at her, and without needing a second warning from me, she stands up, grabbing a pair of socks to put on, and then placing on her brown, knee-high platform boots and enters a jog as she leaves the room.

_If she didn't pull that stunt I would have told her to try calling Weiss and find out where she is . . . but this'll teach her to tease me like that. I'm sure she'll realize she could have called Weiss first to make the search much easier. It's nice being the smarter one in the relationship . . . and the more spiteful one as well._

"Ughhhhh Yang!" I hear a squeaky, tired, angry, and strained voice call out. I look across the room to see Ruby's covered form tossing and turning, fighting to loosen up stiff muscles and finish the waking up process that Yang unfortunately started when she took off out the door and slammed it behind her.

"She just left, Ruby. How'd you know it was her?" I call out, and stand up from my bed. I can see her messy bedhead when she peaks over her shoulder at me. It is weird seeing her with white tips, but I can't say that they look odd on her. As a matter of fact they look cuter than her red tips.

"Because Yang is the only person in this room that would ever slam the door!" Ruby groans, still fighting to wake up. As I reach the bed, I can see several clothes for Ruby laid out on the dresser.

_Weiss, you overachieving girlfriend._

"Here, Little Red. Looks like Weiss got you some clothes to wear." I carefully pick up the folded clothes and lay them on the bed next to her.

"Thanks, Blake. I should probably shower first, though, heheh." Ruby rolls over to look at me, clenching the bedsheets over her form. A soft, sweet, and innocent stare at me makes me realize what she meant.

"Oh . . . OH!" I stand up, taking the clothes in my arms and bringing them into the bathroom. I place them on the lid of the toilet seat, walking out of the bathroom and sitting on my bed with my head turned to the wall. "Alright, you're clear." I call out to Ruby. I can hear her quick footsteps scurry across the room, completed with the bathroom door shutting and locking. I find it cute how she does not wish me to see her exposed, although I have already. I've grown to be like a sister in several ways to Ruby, and the first time I came into the room and she was just dropping her towel to get dressed completely embarrassed her, but I was unphased by it and instead sat down on my bed and began reading my book while an embarrassed crimson haired girl (At least back then she was) stuttered, stammered, and choked on her own words until realizing I was not bothered at all, and finally continued on with herself getting dressed.

_Y'know. I wonder who took the lead last night. Weiss is older, and not prone to taking orders in any situation, but Ruby is pretty aggressive in her own right, and is also the team's leader. That's something I could ask when both of them are together. I'm sure I could read their faces to find out who it was._

"Blake~" I can hear Ruby sing out while she turns the shower on. I stand up and walk over to the door, leaning against it as I speak.

"What's up?"

"Where's Weiss?"

_Ruby, you are too cute for your own good, I swear._

"She went out for a walk. Yang actually went out to go find her." I grin, thinking of the possible goose chase Yang will be going through.

"Why didn't she just call Weiss instead?"

"Because Yang made the mistake of angering me before she left. So I kept that little idea to myself." I begin to giggle that Ruby was quick to think of using a scroll first. As a matter of fact, I guess I should call her to see if she's alright.

"Oh, but why was she up so early?"

"Ruby. Weiss took a shower before she left, so I am sure that she felt the need to clean up for the same reason you rushed into the shower as well." I comment, a long pause coming from the bathroom, and the sound of the shower curtain being pushed aside lets me know she is climbing in. I can hear the sound of the water hitting the floor die out, indicating it is now cascading Ruby's form, but she still speaks to me.

"Y-you didn't have to say it like that, Blake." Her voice is slightly lower, most likely from embarrassment.

"Ruby, I pushed aside both your clothing and Weiss' clothing last night when Yang and I came back. You seem to forget that I've supported the two of you getting together since the first time you two started bickering. I don't think you need to be embarrassed when I mention things like this. That reminds me, Yang and I are going out now.

"Wait, WHAT!?" I hear the shower curtain open, and the slightly wet clap hit the floor. Before I realize it the bathroom door is opening, and I need to quickly step forward and turn around to see what is going on. The moment I turn around I am met with a tight hug from a naked, water covered Ruby. A loud hiss of disapproval echoes in the room, mostly because of my disliking of water splashing me without me being prepared for it, but Ruby doesn't let go at all. "I'm so happy! Yang must be so happy! I hope you're happy! This is just so perfect!"

I can't help but smile at Ruby's innocence and elation. A girl that was trying to hide her nakedness from me earlier is now hugging me with a death lock, but I keep my hands at my sides since well, there isn't really a place for me to hug her without me feeling awkward, which I already do from her throwing her naked form at me.

"Ruby, as happy as I am to see your reaction to the news." I lean down, bringing my lips to her ear, a mild smirk crossing over them. "I don't think my girlfriend will be happy that her naked sister is hugging me."

The sudden gasp, and scream as Ruby realizes what she did makes my ears ring, and in a flurry of rose petals she disappears back into the bathroom and closes the door.

"I'm sorry!" Ruby screams after shutting the door.

"It's fine, just hurry up and shower." I call out, then walk to my bedside to find my scroll.

I sit down at the edge of my bed, flipping through the device to my phonebook, and scroll down the list until I find the name 'Ice Queen', but in honor of their consummation, I guess I should change the name. I debate between putting 'Little Red's Girlfriend', 'Little Red's Princess', but give up since the prefix would confuse me at some point and I would think I am messaging Ruby when instead I am speaking to Weiss. So I settle for just changing the name to Weiss Schnee, deciding to give warming Ice Queen the benefit of having her government name used from now on. I shrug my shoulders, satisfied with my efforts and call her scroll. It rings several times, but eventually it is answered, however I am surprised to hear a soft, melodic, and mature voice answer.

"Hello? Blake Belladonna was it?"

"I'm guessing you read the name on display. Yes, that is me. Who is this, and where is Weiss?" I ask, growing slightly uneasy. Weiss was not someone to let another person answer her scroll.

"I'm a student from Haven. I believe that is sufficient information from now. If you're calling to look for her, there is no need to worry. I came upon her at the fountain and found her with troubles using her left arm. I treated her arm so it should be responsive and functioning at about 80% when she wakes up. I-"

"Wakes up!? What did you do to her!?" I snap, my eyes growing wide as I begin to worry more for her.

"Yelling will change nothing . . . Blake. I fixed her arm, she is fine. My methods are just a bit more . . . painful to her. The only other person I have had to do work on in such a manner is myself, and I have a rather high pain tolerance. I suppose I forgot about that when I began working on her. She should be awake before noon, and I will have her call you. If she does not, then do not hesitate to call again, and I will gladly give you my room number to come pick her up."

"Wait, what is your," I hear a small click I the scroll, indicating that whoever that was just hung up the phone, ". . . name."

_Okay, if that person is really from Haven, she is in the East Dormitories. Should I go look for her? But what if it's some sort of trap? I can't tell Yang, she will throw a fit that she put Weiss into this situation, and if I tell Ruby, then Ruby will go berserk_

I look at the time on my scroll, it is only 6:30. At the very most it will be 5 ½ hours before Weiss calls. That is far too long to be waiting for her to call, especially considering the distance that can be covered in that amount of time.

_Alright, let me call back._

I quickly recall Weiss, this time the phone only ringing once before it is answered by the same voice.

"Blake, if you keep calling, then she will wake up before she is supposed to and feel much more pain than needed." The voice is slightly annoyed, but still calm and relaxed with a very slow speech pattern.

"Yes, but I need you to understand that I cannot wait for a maximum of 5 ½ hours for her to wake up, beca-"

"Because you don't know if I am telling the truth, is that it? I see, look at your scroll."

I look down at my device, seeing that whoever is using Weiss; scroll put on the camera and has it on Weiss, as well as panning about the room, showing off the dark carpet, and a dress with Beacon's emblem on it. As it also pans by the window, I can make out a faint sighting of the Emerald Forest. Shortly after the screen goes black, and just displays Weiss' name and the picture I placed on my scroll of her.

"Is that satisfactory? Should I make a video call to you every hour until she wakes up?" She seems to be annoyed at my distrust, but willing to cooperate rather easily.

"No . . . but I'll make one or two more surprise calls to verify that she is still there. Is that a problem?"

"Not at all. I'll be watching over her until she is awake. Goodbye." Just as quickly as she hung up earlier, she does so again. I should have thanked her for helping Weiss out, but I rather save that for when Weiss calls and I know she is okay.

_She appears to be in good hands, Blake. Just relax. Who is that woman? Her voice is oddly . . . disturbing to me . . . shiver inducing almost . . . Weiss, just who the hell are you getting yourself involved with?_

* * *

A helpless Weiss . Damnit woman! Why must you storm out and follow strangers?


	32. A Loosened Chain

_Here is Chapter 32 :3 Some sudden hype for you all, cause why not? :D_

_As always, give me youe honest feedback and stuff, and all the yada yada yada stuff I always say :D_

* * *

**_POV: YANG XIAO LONG_**

**_Chapter 32 – A Loosened Chain_**

Okay, so I've been looking for Weiss for nearly half an hour. Considering there are not many places she would go, that is a really long time. Now that I think about it, I should have just called her scroll, but that would have warned her I wanted to talk it would have made her anxious.

Or _Yangxious! _My puns are amazing.

So, I decide to take the ten minute walk back to the room, but when I am halfway down the hall I can hear screams and shouts coming from the room. Some were from Ruby, and the others were Blake. I immediately make a short dash for the door, also realizing I was stupid and forgot my scroll.

_Damnit, Yang!_

I try to think quickly, not wanting to destroy the door, but with the frantic screams I have little choice. If I try punching the door, my fist will simply break a hole into it, and not open it. I decide that kicking would be a better bet, and slam my foot into the door on the side with the hinges. If I am going to break the door, I might as well break it from the side that won't cost me a fortune to fix. Those fancy scroll-locks would probably cost me the rest of my fight purse to fix, and I need that for my date!

I hear the door bust from the hinges, falling to the floor while I stand in the doorway. My jaw dropped as I watch Ruby holding Blake against the wall. My little sister showing some of her hidden strength since Blake's feet aren't even touching the floor, but Ruby was only in a bath towel and her hair is soaking wet! I can see a look of fear in Blake's eyes, and Ruby has anything but kindness in her voice.

"Blake. This is my girlfriend we are talking about! If she's the same woman from the CCT, then Weiss is in big trouble! NOW TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE!" Ruby screams.

"Ruby! Put her down!" I snarl, stepping over the kicked down door towards the two. I pause in place when Ruby looks over her shoulder. Her silver eyes piercing me from through her white tips. That look from her is something I've never seen before. For the first time I don't see the normal hate from Ruby. I am subject to nothing but hate from her gaze. My baby sis who has no cares in the world. A person who could never hold a grudge against anybody is completely furious.

Despite her stare I keep my eyes on hers. At first I almost waiver, but I hold onto my gaze, and eventually Ruby lets go of Blake who drops down to a crouch and carefully walks around Ruby and to my side. Ruby down tilts her head, hiding her eyes underneath her hair while clenching her fists. I hold my arm out in front of Blake, worried that my sister may be close to snapping, but a trickling glisten down her pale cheek says otherwise.

"She took me away from Weiss . . . she kept me from the dance, and now . . . now she's keeping Weiss from me! Blake, how do you know she is even in Beacon!? Or if she's still in Beacon? What happens if she leaves with Weiss? If they disappear and try to ransom her off? What then!?"

I feel myself tear inside. My sister is now on her knees. Her tears dropping from her cheeks and onto the back of her planted hands. I finally register the conversation, realizing that Weiss has possibly been abducted, and Blake has information on that. As hard as it is for me to do, I turn my head away from my crying sister, and begin whispering in an inaudible tone, at least to anybody but a Faunus.

"Where is she, Blake?"

Blake turns her head to look at me, then simply shakes her head. Those normally stern, amber eyes broken. From what was a happy night has now turned into a hell. My girlfriend is depressed enough that it can be seen on her face, my sister is having a mental meltdown, and there is nothing within my power to help. Not a single thing.

"Comfort her." I whisper again, my voice barely even audible to myself. I begin to turn, deciding it would be best to get the door back on its hinges before we continue this conversation, or at least get the door shifted into the doorway to at least not draw too much attention to anyone passing by the room, but as I go to do so I feel Blake clutching my wrist, and when I turn my head to look at her I go wide eyed upon the expression I receive.

For the first time ever, I can see that Blake is terrified of Ruby, of my sister who has more in common with Blake than I do. Those two are the best 'Oh-Tah-Cool' friends, or whatever that fancy word she uses is. They watch anime together, they communicate wordlessly at times, and honestly Blake has been more of a sister to Ruby than I have, and although that eats away at my being, I am glad that it is Blake. A person that is far more calm and collective than I am. A girl that gives worthwhile advice, and has shown pure admiration for my sister on several occasions.

"Blake . . . She won't hurt you. Look at her, she's worried about Weiss. If Weiss knew you were possibly in trouble, I'd be ready to kill her in a heartbeat . . . Ruby's broken, she needs comfort. I'm not leaving the room, I just want to get the door back up."

Blake seems satisfied with my answer and carefully walks over to Ruby. While she tries to comfort my sister I walk up to the collapsed door and carefully lift it straight up, getting it to fit right back where it belongs. Surprisingly, I kicked it cleanly out of the wall, so it is just a matter of me lining up the holes and giving it a good pound with my fist to get each screw to fall back where it was, along with the hinges. Of course the door won't be able to survive any harsh openings or closings, but it will hold until I melt the wall around the screws a little, but I will do that another time.

"Alright you two." I say in a loud, clear voice while I turn around to see them both on Blake's bed. Ruby is now dressed in the outfit I saw Weiss lay out for her earlier in the day: A black tanktop with a red-heart in the middle, and a pair of black jogging shorts with red strings to match.

Blake is seated at the edge of the bed with Ruby's face buried into her lap in a light sob. Never in a million years would I believe I would ever see my sister like this.

"Blake, where's Weiss?" I ask, walking towards the two and lowering down to a knee in front of Blake. A slight glance down and I can see the profile of my crying sister. Something I thought I would never have to see again. Something I told myself I would never see again because I wouldn't allow it, and right now it is Blake that's ultimately the one making my sister cry. I won't settle for that.

"Yang . . . Weiss is still on campus. Before Ruby snapped, I was going to say that whoever Weiss is with was taking care of her arm . . . the arm you paralyzed by the way, and she blacked out from whatever treatment she was given. I called Weiss scroll, and someone answered and gave me video feed to show Weiss was asleep, and showed the room. I could see the Emerald Forest out the window, and one of the dressers in the room had Beacon's logo on it. Weiss hasn't left the campus, and that call was about 40 minutes ago." The entire time Blake speaks she keeps a gentle palm petting Ruby's black and white hair. The rhythmic gesture seeming to work its magic on my sis, who soon begins to calm down and adapt a more normal breathing pace.

"Where is she, Blake?" I ask again, I ask slower than before. I keep my eyes locked onto Blake's face, the amber gaze keeping a staring match with me that I ultimately win. As Blake looks away she takes a second to look down at Ruby.

"I don't want her to go after Weiss. Weiss is fine, and if Ruby does something rash in the state she is in, then who knows what that woman would do when she is angry? Apparently she was in a nice enough mood to take care of Weiss, but what if she isn't always like that? What if she is some sort of sa…dist." Blake speaks the last word slowly, appearing to have arrived at some sort of realization.

"Blake?"

"Yang, Ruby can't go. That woman is a sadist, if Ruby goes there, who knows what she will do to Weiss, and to Ruby."

"Then you lead the way, Blake!"

"I can't lead the way. She saw the picture Weiss has of me on her scroll. She knows how I look. For all I know she knows how the two of you look as well, but at the very least she definitely knows my face. It's not like I haven't thought this through, Yang! . . . Ruby heard me while I was talking to whoever it is that is with Weiss, and all she picked up was the voice pattern, and she thinks it's someone she fought at the CCT . . ."

"Blake, if we don't even know where on the campus she is, how can we be sure she is even still in Beacon, and not on some jet with a room made to replicate Beacon's room?"

"Because it adds up, Yang! She's visiting from Haven, and if I was able to make out the Emerald Forest this early that means the sun was rising from that direction!" Blake's eyes widen, and a smirk crosses my lips. Blake slipped up and said just enough.

"So . . . Weiss is in the Eastern Dormitories!" Ruby shouts and in the same instant I see a flurry of rose petals and hear the door open as well as collapse to the ground once more. Just as predicted Ruby is long gone. I watch as Blake jumps up and tries to make a dash for the door to follow, but I reach an arm out, grabbing her by the waist and throwing her back onto her bed.

"Sorry, Kitty . . . but we need to sit this one out. We won't be able to keep up with Ruby to begin with. Ruby is probably halfway there, and even if you followed you'd just be getting out of our dorm wing." I turn around to make my way to the door, this time heating the wall where the screws for the hinges go, and quickly lift the door into place, letting the melting portion harden around the screws and lock the hinges in place much firmer than they initially were.

"Yang! Aren't you worried!? What happens if Weiss gets hurt? What happens if Ruby-"

"This is my fault, Blake! I started this! Me! I'm the reason Weiss ended up going with whoever that is, and because of me Ruby lost her cool, and you are scared shitless of her. I'm the only one here who hasn't suffered!" I clench my fist, resting my head against the secured door.

"Yang . . ." Blake whispers, and following her whisper I can hear her footsteps approaching me before her slender arms embrace me. I can feel her arms wrap around my stomach, making me clench my toned midsection from the odd feeling of being hugged by her like this for the first time. "You've been the one suffering the most . . . seeing your sister like that, me like that, knowing Weiss is in danger because of you . . . and even now you are not pursuing Ruby like you normally would. You're punishing yourself, Yang . . . why?" I feel Blake press her lips to the back of my neck, then to my ear, prior to nipping my earlobe. "Tell me why, Yang. We're together now . . . you can't hide things from me . . . I won't let you."

"I'm not fit to protect her anymore, Blake. I told myself I would never make her cry again and the moment I saw that tear roll down her cheek I knew it was all my fault . . . I'm fucking useless!" I shout, winding my arm up to punch a clean hole through the wall, but I feel Blake's slender fingers grip my bicep, making my arm go weak from her always gentle touch.

"Yet you were able to squeeze out the information she wanted from me . . . I think you proved your use. Now, can we go after Ruby?"

"Not a chance." I sigh, turning around and lifting Blake into my arms, carrying her in a bridal style towards her bed. "We'll wait here for her to come back with Weiss, which she will, and I'll apologize to Weiss like I was trying to do earlier, and to Ruby for putting her through all this." I explain, sitting down on Blake's bed while still holding her tightly in my arms.

"And what about me? You left me in a room with the Weiss-obsessed side of your sister, and she almost killed me."

_Blake . . . you choose the wrong times to rub it in, I swear._

"Well, I plan on apologizing to you right now." I smile, moving my hand to the back of Blake's head. The brunette Faunus adapting a slight grin to my words and moves her arms around the back of my neck.

"So you just wanted to get us to be alone for a little bit." She says with that noted sarcasm of hers.

"You know that's not true. It just worked out this way, so I may as well take my mind off of 'worried sister' mode. You'll help with that, right?" I ask, gently tugging Blake's head up towards me.

"Possibly . . . this time." She answers, half-lidding her amber eyes as her lips near mine.

Perhaps I am being selfish. I always look at everything in respect to myself. Ruby is _my_ sister. Blake is _my _partner and _my _teammate. Weiss is _my_ sister's girlfriend, but now I need to change that and realize that Ruby isn't just _my_ sister. She's _Weiss' _girlfriend, and letting Ruby pursue Weiss on her own is my first, and largest step to acknowledging that.

_Don't make a scene, Ruby . . . Weiss will be fine as long as you trust her._

* * *

I feel like Yang made a mistake . . . what about you guys? . . . Oh wait, you wouldn't know :D You're not the author! mwahahahahahahah


	33. WeissCream Sundae with Red Sprinkles

_Here is Chapter 33. It's a mystery POV, but any Pun-loving RWBY fan will already know whose POV it is xD. _

_Anyway, I went with a little different approach to this character, decided to have fun with explaining one of his/her traits and adding a little AU twist of mine to him/her._

_There is also an Easter egg in here. This Easter egg is to possibly get a scene implemented into the Christmas Arc, or request for something to happen in the Christmas Arc :D So, yay!._

_The winner of the last Easter egg contest with this reward was Dodongo821, and he asked for a spicy scene with a jealous and possessive Ruby . . . and that aspect of jealousy has continued on throughout the story so far :D So beware that your suggestion could also become a permanent aspect to my story plot! Hurray!_

* * *

**_POV: ? ? ?_**

**_Chapter 33 – WeissCream Sundae with Red Sprinkles_**

I let out a soft sigh as I enter the Eastern Dormitories. I make sure nobody is nearby to see me enter as I make my way up the nearby stairwell and exit on the next level up. I tap on the nearest door, a slow, deep but feminine voice tells me to enter and I do so without hesitation.

"You're late . . . again." Cinder whispers to me as I walk in. She is speaking in a much softer tone, and when I look towards my left after entering I see her sitting on her bed with a girl's head on her lap. She has snow white hair, the softest facial expression, and completes her sweet, innocent look with a messy set of twin tails, almost as if they have been formed by bedhead of some kind. Apparently Cinder sees me staring at the messy hair, because her eyes break from me and look at it herself.

"Hm . . . you're right, her hair is a mess. Get me the brush on top of the dresser will you?" Cinder speaks in another soft whisper. Normally she would scold my late arrival, but it seems she is doing her best to avoid the sleeping girl. I nod my head and quickly make my way over to the dresser, blinking as I see the several brushes, and decide that the one with the most bristles is the one to go with.

The brush I grab is completely black with a glossy texture. All the bristles are thin and black, barely having any space between them, and making it impossible to see the base of the brush beneath them. I walk over to Cinder and give her the brush. She already has this mystery girl sitting up with her back against Cinder for support.

"She's surprisingly light. Do me a favor and hold her shoulders to keep her from moving." It's another soft whisper from Cinder. Something I am not use to hearing from her.

I not my head and stand in front of the two of them. Placing my hands on the unconscious girl's shoulders to hold her in place. I watch as Cinder places her left hand on the girl's head, and uses the other to hold the brush and begin detangling one of the twin tails. I do not make a single sound while she does this, not wanting to get her angrier than she already is. I do not know who this mystery girl is, but she has saved my eardrums from being imploded from Cinder's scolding. I am thankful that she is nearby.

"I suppose with the twin tails you can't notice . . . picture her with a French braid. This is the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, and no, we are not ransoming her. I'm just getting her ready for her rescuing party, which you will be intercepting." The relaxed tone Cinder has soon disappears, and she looks at me with an intimidating, toothy grin, almost as if she has just lost her sanity. "I want you to leave the brunette with white tips alive. I'll be interested to see how she develops in the future. I'll let her live and mature . . . until she is finally worth killing."

_There's the Cinder I know . . ._

"However, I don't believe she is on the way, yet. I left the window open, the moment the breeze shifts is when you will go and intercept her. I doubt she will have any company with her . . . she won't wait for anybody. This is her reason for living it seems." She finishes with the first twintail and switches to the next.

Cinder has always been sadistic, and usually appears calm and collective until something sparks her interest immensely. She was like that when she first found me several years ago. A look of killer intent in her eyes upon looking at me, but that intent wasn't for me, and it took me months to realize that.

I watch as she brushes the other twintail, growling to herself as she fights away the several tangles, which she could do without a problem, but I suppose she is holding back her strength to avoid waking the heir to the Schnee Dust Company.

"You, my dear girl." She whisper, making me look at her quickly, but I realize she is only talking to the unconscious woman. "You exist to be the sanity for my favorite Red Reaper . . . to keep her sealed away within that petite form, and hide behind positive emotions. Yet, you are the reason that same girl goes into such a state. I wonder just how far she is willing to go for you, and I plan on finding out very soon, and you will be helping me with that, whether you like it or not." I watch as Cinder puts down the brush, leaning her head over the shoulder of the unconscious girl and plants the softest of kisses on her temple. "You'll be my trump card . . . my little Ace of Spades." Cinder whispers into the ear of an unresponsive girl, but quickly opens her eyes and looks at the window.

"The winds have shifted . . . Go, she'll be coming from the direction of the residential dorms. Do NOT harm her, understood?" She looks at me with those piercing amber eyes.

I give her a quick nod of my head and make my way out of the room. I take my time going down the stairs, and just as I exit the stairwell and make my left to leave out of the door to the dormitories, I can see a girl in a black tanktop with a red heart sitting in the very center, the shape of the heart slightly distorted by my view since the upper half of the heart is over the curve of her breasts, and the lower half is on the flat surface of her torso. For pants she is wearing black shorts, and the swaying red strings distract me for a split second as she approaches.

I find it best to keep advancing calmly towards her, and eventually she slows down to a stop, realizing I intend to block her path. She reaches behind her back, pulling some weird looking gun over her shoulder.

"If you're here to stop me . . . then you know where Weiss is. Take me to her, NOW." She commands of me.

The usual smile I bare disappears. Nobody commands me. I have only taken orders from one person, and that is the brunette who told me to stop this 'Red Reaper' from getting into the dormitories, although doing so without harming her will be very difficult. I take a soft breath, going back to smiling. I can feel my body starting to shake. The adrenaline beginning to pump through me at the thought of fighting someone. My smile turns to a smirk, signaling my refusal to cooperate, and without hesitation the Red Reaper swings her gun, extending it into a giant scythe – the weapon that signifies the nickname Cinder has given her – and holds the weapon that is twice her size towards me.

"If you won't bring me to her, then you're not going to keep me here either!" she says with a scowl on her face, but before our battle begins I lose myself in thought, being pulled into the sanctuary of my mind to speak with the three beings that comprise who I have been shaped into.

"I say fuck Cinder's orders and kill the bitch! Nobody tells us what to do!" This overly aggressive voice is an exact replica of me, but instead has brown hair, and wears all brown clothing. I've taken to nicknaming her Coco – short for Chocolate. She stands at my 2 o'clock position, about 5 meters away.

"Cinder wants her unharmed . . . who are we to disobey? She is part of the reason we have been able to manifest ourselves." The second, calmer and much more mature voice is to my 10 o'clock position. She is another exact replica, but is instead dressed in all pink with matching hair color. I call her Berry – short for Strawberry.

"You two argue all the time! How about we just have fun! I'll take the lead with Berry since she is right . . . we aren't supposed to kill her . . . not this time, anyway!" A hyper, childish voice speaks behind me. I look over my shoulder to see the third replica of myself, but this one is all white. I call her Van – short for Vanilla.

"Fine . . . you two better not get hit by the bitch . . . Neo, are you satisfied with letting Van and Ber assist?" Coco asks me. It's not like I have much of a choice.

They are in my mind, and they are a part of my being. Together they all make me who I am, but their separate personalities lead my intentions through fighting. Whenever I am hit with adrenaline I hear these three voices. Each is a side of me.

Coco is my anger and hate. Anytime my anger takes hold of me greater than any other emotion. Her voice becomes the loudest in my head, encouraging me to raise hell and leave piles of bodies in my wake – which I am very much capable of after Cinder's training.

Berry is my caring and more thoughtful side. She is the more strategic part of my mind, and much more submissive when it comes to obeying an order. She is the voice that keeps me in check, making sure I don't let Coco's love for destruction, and Van's want for 'fun' turn me into a violent mess. She is also like my therapist, the one I can hide in my mind and talk to should I feel the need to vent my feelings.

And finally Van is my childish, carefree self. The part of me that was always present during my childhood, but that has changed now into the childish attitude that doesn't care about killing. She is usually the tie-breaker between the arguments that break out between Coco and Berry, but ultimately she just enjoys having her way . . . like any child does.

"Alright, Van, Berry, do your thing." Coco sighs, fading until she completely disappears.

"I'm glad this was a much easier decision this time around." Berry sighs, fading just like Coco did.

"I'm going to have so much fun!" Van screams from behind me, letting out a series of cheerful giggles before she fades as well.

I open my eyes, seeing the Red Reaper charge at me. My right eye now white from Van's presence, and my left eye is pink, welcoming Berry into my thoughts. At the first swing of the scythe I lean back, ducking underneath the horizontal slice and begin backflipping away with my usual grin coming back to me.

_"She's fast, don't get careless."_ Berry echos in my mind.

_"Let's play! She's not quick enough to handle Neo's acrobatics!" _Van shouts, followed with her many giggles, and she was right. I am far more agile than anybody, especially thanks to my small form. I am only 4'9, but I have never let my height hold me back. Big things always come in small packages.

Unfortunately I do not have my umbrella with me. I left it in warehouse in Vale with Torchwick since I was in a rush. I quickly dash forward towards the girl, she is already swinging again, but I slide to the floor, going between her legs while she strikes and tugs one of her ankles to make her fall to the floor. While I am still sliding I move to my feet, using the momentum to do a front flip, then a corkscrew so I am no facing her with significant distance between us.

_"Don't harm her, Cinder said!"_ Berry screams at me, making me roll my eyes.

Although I am the one fighting, I get assistance from two of my three personas that make up who I am. They are my coaches so to speak, and enhance my movements accordingly. Van enhances my agility and reaction time. Berry enhances my perception, and quickens my strategy forming, and Coco . . . she brings forth my killer intent and makes sure I never hold back. When Coco and Van are in control . . . I become entirely different than any of the other combinations that make up my separate personalities. I am a swirl of different personalities, just as my name symbolizes.

I watch as the girl stands up and turns around, staring at me with hate in her eyes, and a ready intent to kill, but we are far apart in skill, and I have a much heavier drive to live. I place my left hand on my hip, sporting my grin. My right eye losing its sight thanks to my pink hair covering over it, and in response I hear several groans of disapproval from Van.

_"Aww! Berry, I can't see! Switch with me"! _She cries out.

_"Ugh, fine! Just shut up!" _Vanilla groans in annoyance, and upon me blinking I can't see it in any way, but I know my eye colors flipped.

_You two are far more talkative than usual. Keep your eyes . . . my eyes on the fight! Otherwise I'll ask Coco to come in._

My scolding of them earns a momentary silence in my head, and when I look ahead of me to the small reaper who starts to charge at me, I catch a small sighting out the corner of my eye. The sharp vision in my right eye – Berry's assisted eye I see several thin needles flying through the air and suddenly pierce into the girl's thighs, shoulders and biceps.

I watch as the girl drops to her knees, and also drops her weapon at the same time. I look up towards the second story of the building to see Cinder in her black catsuit and sporting a mask that covers the upper part of her face. She is jumping down from the room window and begins walking over towards the Red Reaper who looks over her shoulder with a look of disgust. Seeming to know immediately who it was that struck her from behind with the paralyzing projectiles.

"It hasn't even been a day . . . yet you are already ruining my morning? Why is that . . . Ruby Rose?" Cinder asks, standing in front of the motionless, kneeling form and kicks the large scythe towards me. I carefully pick it up, amazed at the weight and quietly stand behind Cinder with the weapon in my hands.

"You know why I'm here! Now where's Weiss!?" the girl known as Ruby screams. I want to bash her head in for talking to Cinder that way . . . and if Coco was present I would have most likely done so.

"She will be waking up shortly. I moved her to a vacant room at the end of the hallway the moment you enter the dormitory, but know this . . . Ruby Rose." Cinder reaches into her top for something, and I don't know what it is until she makes a swift swipe with her right hand, holding her right arm fully extended and between her index and middle fingers I see a card. An ace of spades with the top edges slightly bloody. I peek around Cinder's arm to see the girl with a thin cut on her cheek, but an unphased stare of hate. "Right now, I'm letting you live. And I'll continue to keep you alive . . . until you've grown enough to become worth killing."

I can feel that sadistic stare of Cinder's looking into the girl's eyes, because those silver orbs soften and eventually turn to fear as Cinder exposes the scary part of her personality. I watch as Cinder drops the card onto Ruby's lap and begins to walk past the girl towards the dorm.

"I fixed you're girlfriend's arm . . . and my healing method left some red dust in her arm. Should you tell anyone of that, or who and where I am currently residing . . . I will not hesitate to blow up her limb and leave you with a handicapped heiress. Within 2 weeks the dust will be pushed from her arm as her body heals itself naturally, and until then she will be a mere charge of my aura away from losing that precious left arm. I'm sure I don't need to explain any further." Cinder looks over her shoulder with a smirk.

"And this card?" Ruby shouts, looking down at the ace that is tipped with her blood.

"Keep it and remember that you would be dead with how weak you are . . . the day you are able to even land a single strike on me . . . I will take that card back, and not a moment sooner. Neo, leave her weapon there and let's go. As far as she's concerned, you and I are ghosts." Cinders begins to laugh, and I quickly lower to a knee to place the scythe on the floor.

As I stand up, I see those silver eyes lock onto me. I give her a warm smile before curtsying to her and entering a brisk walking pace to catch up to Cinder who has already traveled upstairs. As I exit on the second floor I can hear rapid footsteps taking off downstairs. It must be Miss Rose dashing to check on the Schnee girl. I enter Cinder's room, and as usual she is seated on her bed, but has a satisfied look on her face. I move to sit next to her, and as I do she places an arm around my waist, and pulls me close to her.

"I want to see what that girl is capable of. I want to watch her blossom. I want to see that hate of hers turn to bloodlust. It seems I found my next project." I frown as she speaks those words, and when she turns her head and sees me without my usual grin, she shakes her head and chuckles. "She is not replacing you, Neo. You will always be my favorite."

Her response beings a smile back to my lips and I nod my head. As I blink, both of my eyes fades to a light-brown color. My natural eye-color when I am not in combat, or preparing for combat. The eye color that signifies that I am the only one present, and not Coco, Berry, or Vanilla.

"Now, get back to the warehouse and help Roman . . . and don't forget your umbrella next time. I noticed you didn't have it so I decided to go out and help you . . . I never taught you much hand-to-hand combat, never worry me again, understood?" Cinder asks rhetorically. Her scolding tone having a hint of care in it, and I quickly nod my head.

"Good, now get going. Things are calm for now, but we will be moving to the next phase of our plan before very long." I begin to stand up to leave, but Cinder tugs me back down onto the bed. I turn to look at her with mild confusion, but as I turn my head I am greeted with her lips pressed to my forehead, bringing a slight blush to my cheeks.

"It was nice seeing you, Neo. Now go" She whispers to me after pulling her lips from my forehead. I quickly stand up and bow towards her before darting out the room, my usual grin extended further across my face than usual. That sign of affection reminds me why I am who I am today. An event in my past causing me to be saved by a mysterious woman, and eventually tracking her down to show my thanks, but flashbacks can remain for another day . . . right now I need to go back to the warehouse and make sure everything is fine with Torchwick.

* * *

I dunno, I felt I was pretty good with this one. It was an approach different from what I normally do, but hey, we all gotta expand from our comfort zone!

What do you guys think of this chapter? Since I did something different I would love to get more feedback than usual! I need to know what I did right, wrong, or if I did something that was pretty cool in your eyes!


	34. Melting Ice

_Okay, I guess I should first start off by explaining in a little more detail the rules for Easter eggs. _

_Saying the anime it is from will not get you the win._

_You need to say what part of the story is referring to what anime and/or anime character._

_Similar to my Soul Eater Easteregg, someone answered by saying_

_"Ruby's mention of symmetry, and coloring her hair white are references to Death The Kid"_

_That is a perfect example. _

_In that case there were two aspects to the full easter egg. In this case there are 3. Two of them are dialogues, and one of them is an action. With that said I wish you all good luck in getting the 3 items to the full easter egg, and also, it is only one anime the Easter egg refers to, so keep that in mind!_

_Anyway, enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

**_POV: WEISS SCHNEE_**

**_Chapter 34 – Melting Ice_**

"My name is Cinder. Now hold still . . . this may hurt just a bit." The soft, yet sternly spoken woman whispers to me. I watch eagerly at what form of treatment she will use, and become amazed when her amber eyes glow, causing the tube she opened at her side to glow, and a thin mist of dust to float out.

"Wait, you can manipulate dust!?"I ask in a slightly raised tone, amazed since I have never seen a semblance specifically for something that was formulated by human hands.

"It's not so simple. My semblance is a little more complicated, but yes, I am able to manipulate dust as part of it." She whispers, the digits of her left hand moving in several swift, complicated gestures, and the mist of dust soon changes into many thin needles, no thicker than a strand of hair.

"Anyway, now is the time I will ask you to lay down on your stomach with the left side of your body towards me." She explains.

I raise an eyebrow, not feeling so comfortable with laying on someone else's bed, but most medical procedures do need a person to lay down to avoid any extra movements, so I suppose there is no harm done since she IS doing a medical practice.

"Very well." I answer, using my right hand to push myself off of the mattress. I turn around to climb back on the bed, the right side of my body towards the wall, and my left side towards her. As I lower myself onto my stomach she reaches out with her right hand to grasp my unresponsive arm and lay it perpendicular to my body to show its full wingspan.

"Good, you will start to feel a numbing pain . . . like when you sleep on your arm and all you feel are thousands of pin needles." I look at my arm, my eyes widening to see most of it has taken to a black and blue bruise coloring. Just how hard did Yang punch me!?

"W-Why is my entire arm like that?" I ask, worried about just how serious this treatment may be, and if I should go see an actual doctor.

"Nothing serious, she just punched you hard enough to pop several blood vessels in a rather large chain effect. That's stopped the blood flow in your arm, and the thin layer of blood that is causing the black and blues are also screwing around with your nerves which is why you can't move the arm . . . I'm going to do two things. Drain the blood that has formed between your skin layers, and then provide a seal wherever the bleeding is still present – if it is still present." I listen carefully as she explains, nodding my head. She seems to know what she is doing.

"Okay . . . proceed." I whisper, wincing to myself as I once again sound more like a stuck-up heiress rather than a thankful person. It's not purposefully done, and I hope she won't take offense to my odd choice of wording, which it doesn't appear she has.

My eyes widen when I see the several hair-thin needles line up along my arm, gently pressing along the entire paralyzed limb, then all at the same time they pierce my flesh. I don't feel it at first, but I watch as she lets out a soft exhale, the dust-formed needles glowing. I feel a warmth in my arm, then a heavy shiver through my spine when all of the needles press in a millimeter deeper.

At the same time I can see my flesh softening around the needles, and then she withdraws all of them, leading several, barely noticeable holes in my arm. That is until my blood begins to seep out of those holes, coating my flesh in a crimson red. I can feel a slight movement in my thumb, at least for a few seconds, and the dark bruises that are spread across my arm begin to disappear slowly.

While my arm bleeds out she sits down next to me, pressing her right hand into my shoulder. Her palm is very warm, hotter than Yang's touch even.

"T-that's a lot of blood" I whisper, looking at my arm that begin to develop crimson streaks from the trickling liquid.

"Yes, but you're not going to go through anemia. Like I said, this was already out of your system and just pressing against your skin . . . you know how 'black and blues' form, don't you?" She asks with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I do." I turn my head away from her, looking at the wall. "I just don't like blood, okay?"

My reasoning earns a slight laugh from her. Something I really couldn't picture someone with her attitude doing much of. She lifts her right hand from my shoulder, changing to putting her left on my shoulder, and her right firmly on my back.

"Looks like the bleeding is done, take a look." I turn my head, unable to make out my full arm since it has several red stripes covering portions of it. It isn't a lot of blood, but it is so scattered about what it looks like a much large quantity than it is, when in reality, it is probably equivalent to what a doctor draws out for bloodwork.

"I can't tell of the bruises are still there." I whisper to her. She lets go of my left shoulder, reaching behind her to grab something, and when she brings her arm back I see that she is holding her black pillowcase in her hand, and I quickly move my right arm in protest. "D-don't dirty that for me!"

My brief protest is completely ignored when she carefully drapes the pillowcase over my arm, leaving it there for a few seconds. She then lifts it up, most of the crimson liquid gone, aside from a few transparent streaks of dried blood.

A smile crosses my lips as I look at my arm, there is no longer any bruising beneath my flesh, and I can feel the pin-needle embrace going from my shoulder, slowly down my limb as the blood begins to circulate regularly.

"Good, that part was to help you out, now we just need to do one more thing." I look at her from the corner of my eye, seeing a minor altering in her gaze. She places her left arm on my shoulder once more, and climbs onto the bed with me. She kneels with her knees on either side of my body, letting her weight rest on my lower back.

"W-Why must you be on top of me?" I ask, feeling slightly awkward enough being on the bed of someone I just met, but now having that person on my back.

"To keep you from moving." She says with a harsh bluntness to her voice. I part my lips to question her, but at the same time I feel an excruciating pain in my left arm. I look over to see the several needles making their way back into my arm, in the same manner as earlier, but this time I can feel each and every prick in my flesh.

I let out a loud whine, burying my face into the bed as my body shakes and attempts to fight away the immense feeling. I can feel them all sliding in deeper than earlier, my head beginning to spin as I cry out and kick from what I thought would be a relatively painless treatment, but right now my arm is being impaled.

I can feel Cinder leaning over me, her breasts touching my back while the needles continue to slide into my arm. I don't see any blood this time, but I can feel a building heat coming from them, followed by the mild scent of scorched flesh.

"It's okay . . . scream for me, my little heiress. Let me hear you sing for me."

My eyes widen at her words. I look at her from the corner of my eye, those amber eyes glowing furiously, and suddenly gaining a blinding flash to them. I let out a high pitched scream of agony at that very moment. The needles in my arms sending a massive wave of heat through my body, along with a concentrated heat on my recently un-numbed arm.

I always thought I knew what pain was, but then I see every needle disappear into my arm, and they must all be pierced into my muscles because I can't even tense up my arm at this point, which I was able to do a few seconds ago. I can feel a tear rolling down the corner of my left eye, and the tears from my right eye begin to drench the bedsheet below me

"You have the cutest little face when you cry. You know that?" She whispers to me with a smirk across her lips.

I don't get much of a chance to respond. The concentrated pain eventually making me go unconscious.

* * *

I wince, snapping partially out of my sleep. I can't feel my arm again, but when I try to move it I can feel a weight shift in the bed, meaning that it is at least responsive. I guess whatever she did to me worked. I open an eye, looking up to see the underside of Cinder's head. Apparently my head is on her lap, and she is singing to herself. I close my eyes, focusing on picking up the melodic whispers of her voice as she sings.

_**"Hush little reaper . . . don't say a word"**_ As she sings I listen, feeling my heart rate pickup as the singing goes on.

_**"Cinder's gonna give you what you de…serve:**_

_**A way to see and hate the minds**_

_**of the cruelness of people and . . . mankind.**_

_**But if you cry and hate me more,**_

_**I'll fed the one you love to a Ne-ver-more.**_

_**Then I'll see you break and go in-sane,**_

_**To realize the true mean-ing of pain**_

_**As you rage, I'll sneak up to you unheard,**_

_**So hush little reaper . . . what is your last word?"**_

_Who is this Reaper? _

The words she sang should make me fear her more . . . especially after the torture she put me through earlier, but I don't feel anything. Pain, fear, panic, all I feel is a form of tranquility from her voice. I feel her hand gently rest over my forehead and eyelids, and a soft heat starts to radiate from them, making me feel tired and drift away from consciousness slowly.

"I know you are awake . . . just rest. I'm sure your girlfriend will be here soon." She whispers to me, moving her hand away and letting me fall asleep at my own pace after putting me at the very brink of going unconscious. Just before I completely go unconscious I hear a knock at the door

"Enter." Cinder whispers, probably thinking I am already asleep. I hear the door open, but I am far too tired to open my eyes and see who it is. Instead I fall asleep again, but just before I do I can hear one last thing exit Cinder's lips. "You're late . . . again."

* * *

"Weiss! Weiss!? Weiss, wake up! Wake up damnit! Weiss!" I hear the childish, familiar screams of Ruby echo in my head.

"Ugh . . . let me sleep," I groan.

"You're okay!" She screams again, and the chance of resting I had hoped for is destroyed when she climbs on top of me and hugs me. Her arms going around my neck and nearly choking me to death while I try to pry her off.

"C-can't breathe . . . DOLT." I cough out, and she quickly lets go, instead laying her head on my chest. I finally opens my eyes, gazing about the room and realize this is not the room I am use to. "W-where's Cinder?" I ask, gazing about as I prop myself up on my elbows.

_Wait . . . both elbows?_

I look down at my left arm, smiling to see it completely healed and without any scarring. It looks exactly like it did prior to Yang's barbaric and bipolar attack. I suppose the extra pain was worth it since I look like I never had an injury to begin with. I need to at least pay her for her work . . . something this professionally done shouldn't be done as charity . . . although she did scare the life out of me twice.

"That . . . bit- I mean that woman with the long black hair?" Ruby asks, at first very sour with her words, but soon changing back to a more cheerful tone.

"Yes, Ruby. She fixed my arm brand new, and I haven't given her a proper thank you." I smile, watching as Ruby gently grasps my left hand, and for some reason begins to cry while she holds it. Going as far as to place my palm to her cheek and look into my eyes.

"She did a perfect job, Weiss. I'm sure you'll bump into her when the time is proper, but for now let's go back to the dorm, okay?"

I nod my head, sitting myself up and reach to the side of my head to fix my twintails a little. I pause a moment as I run my finger through one of them, then with my other hand I check the other. I can't feel a single tangle in either of them. I can't believe it! She even went as far as to brush my hair while I was out cold . . . no pun intended. Ruby sees the look of shock on my face and begins giggling.

"What's wrong? Forgot you still had your twin tails?" She giggles, but I quickly shake my head.

"No, Ruby . . . there's not a single tangle . . . She actually took time to brush my hair." I whisper, and Ruby immediately shoots a look of disapproval.

"Hmph! I could've done that for you!" my girlfriend pouts, drawing the biggest smile to my lips.

"Ruby Rambunctious Rose . . . are you jealous?" I giggle, Ruby turning her head away and sliding off of the bed.

"I'll be waiting in the hallway. Get your shoes on so we can head back" Ruby has a stern look as she walks out the door. I suppose I hit a nerve, something I didn't think Ruby had.

I slide myself off of the bed, reaching into the hip pocket of my outfit, just above where my combat skirt begins to spread out to pull out my scroll. As I turn it on it says I have a text message from a Cinder F. I take a moment to read the message and smile slightly.

**_Cinder:_**_ Should you have any questions of the side effects of the treatment, come to my room . . . You remember the way there, right? My door is only open to you, nobody else, and there are no exceptions. Do not reply to this._

I shrug my shoulders and look around to find my shoes sitting near the doorway. I walk over and slide them on, then open the door to see Ruby leaning against the wall across from the doorway and smiling at me.

"Shall we go, Princess?" She asks, extending her hand out to me. I reach out with my right hand, but she quickly shakes her head and moves to my left side, grabbing my left hand before I can even react.

"Ruby, what is your obsession with my left arm today? I understand your sister punched it, but I am perfectly fine now, I assure you."

"I know Weiss, I just came to realize that I love your left." She gives me a warm smile, but a raise an eyebrow at her comment. That was really weird . . . even for Ruby, but I decide to let it go for now.

"Ummm . . . alright?"

"Nope! All left!" I shake my head, smiling at her wordplay that is just as bad as her sister's.

"Dolt. Let's just get back before your Yang-awful jokes put me in a coma."

"Awww . . . that's cold . . . Weiss cold." She pouts, flashing me a grin a she makes yet another awful pun.

"Ruby . . . stop it."

"But when Yang is not around and puns are needed . . . Ruby ROSE to the occasion! Hey, that's me!" She giggles, forcing me to facepalm myself. Her jokes are so bad, and they are coming in bunches. I wish Blake was here to help me survive this onslaught.

"Ruby if you make another joke then I will go back to wearing a French braid the moment I step into the dorm!" I look at her, seeing her go wide eyed and in that same instant she goes silent, allowing me to let out a sigh of relief. Finally I am getting a break, but now the walk home will be very long since I will have a silent Ruby. She will make sure she doesn't make another pun, but takes it a step further and makes herself completely silent to avoid making one completely . . . such an overachiever.

_Speaking of bad puns . . . I need to apologize to Yang when I get back . . . I suppose I was a bit out of like with slapping her. Ugh, she will not make it easy on me I just know it!_

I let out a loud sigh, sliding my arm around Ruby as we leave the Eastern Dormitory and make out way back to our dorm room. Not once does she utter a word, but she keeps herself pressed tightly to my form, and has never let go of my arm even for a split second. Ruby is my adorable, clingy girlfriend, but something must be bugging her if she is this attacked. I will try to find out what it is, but that will be for another time. For now I will just mentally prepare myself for my discussion with Yang.

* * *

:3 I think this was a successful chapter :D Give me your input guys!


	35. A Falling Blizzard

_Well, like I said. Since I am now on break I have more time to write! So here is my second chapter of the day :D Hope you guys enjoy :3_

_Don't be afirad to send me feedback! _

_Seriously . . . send me feedback, I got like no reviews on the last chapter and that made me really depressed x.x I want to know how people felt about the last chapter, and the Neo Chapter . . . _

_COME ON GUYS I RELY ON YOU Q.Q_

_lol. Anyway, enjoy!_

* * *

**_POV: RUBY ROSE_**

**_Chapter 35 – A Falling Blizzard _**

"W-Weiss, you can't be serious! That is hardly an apology! As a matter of fact that is far from it!" I scream as we walk down the hallway to the dorm room.

"It is an apology, Ruby. Yang will understand it . . . if anything she is the only person that will understand." Weiss sighs, keeping her eyes straight ahead with a look of seriousness written all over her face.

"Weiss, she is going to kill you, and you know that! What do you have to prove to her!?"

"I have EVERYTHING to prove to her, Ruby! If I can't handle this, what makes you think that she will ever trust me in the future!?"

I whimper, hearing the anger in Weiss voice. Watching as she takes out her scroll and opens the door. I close my eyes, knowing I will only need my ears for what is to transpire.

"Yang Xiao Long, we are going to-"

I blink, hearing Weiss pause, but still keeping my eyes closed, hoping that things do not get worst.

"Oh, uh . . . hey, Weiss!" I hear my sister respond in a nervous tone.

"Yang, of all the juvenile things you could do! Take off Blake's bra this instant!"

"Awww, I just wanted to see how much larger I am than my Kitty!"

"You imbecilic barbarian! Yang, you and I are going to have a match . . . and it will be right down your alley. It will be a Knockout stipulation match. I will be in the arena. It will be vacant until 11. It is currently 8:45, I expect you to be there, and not hold back . . ." I listen as Weiss walks to her closet and when I hear her footsteps approach the doorway I see her exiting with Myrtenaster on her hip.

"W-Weiss . . ." I whisper as she starts walking by me. My head dropping as she appears to pass right by me with that focused look on her face. It is only after I break my line of sight from her that I feel a hand reach out to lift my head up. Weiss is standing right in front of me with a smile on her face.

"Ruby . . . I need to do this. Your sister is a person to communicate with her fists . . . I will get through to her with her own language. Weiss leans in, kissing me right between the eyes before entering a brisk walking pace down the hallway to make her way towards the sparring arena.

"It's not her I need to worry about getting my words across to." I hear Weiss whisper while she walks down the hallway.

I go into the room, seeing my sister topless, at least for the moment since she is just getting on her black sports bra.

"Yang. D-Don't hurt her." I whimper as I walk up to my sister who is quickly getting dressed with an excited grin on her face.

"Are you kidding, Ruby? The last thing Weiss wants me to do is hold back! She wants to fight until one of us either gives up or drops. This isn't something I will hold back on!"

I can feel the heat radiating from my sister. She is excited. Far more excited than I have ever seen her, even to the point that she is shaking slightly from adrenaline.

"She had that look in her eye, Rubes. She had MY look in her eye. Whatever she went through to get her arm fixed, it must have smacked something around in that high-class head of hers because that isn't the look of the Weiss I know." Yang looks over her shoulder at me, her grin turning to a smirk. "That's the look of the Weiss that the guts to smack me this morning . . . and that's the Weiss I want to see more of."

"B-But why, Yang!? You can kill her in a knockout fight! That's your wheelhouse! Those are the same rules of The Pit! And you're undefeated in The Pit! . . . Don't do this Yang . . . please." I can feel tears swelling in my eyes. I recall the day I took Yang's left hook and was out for a few days. That day I could have . . . no, I would have lost Weiss to my sister's overprotective nature.

"Rubes . . . Weiss challenged me. You think I will ever back down? And as for 'why' I want to see more of this Weiss . . . it's simple. That's the Weiss I want to be around when it comes time to protect my baby sis. I came to a resolve today that I will support the two of you no matter what, but it seems Weiss doesn't want it to be that way. She wants to prove to me without a doubt that she is capable of protecting you." Yang smirk turns into her serious scowl. "This is more than just a match Ruby. Weiss and I are having this fight over the right to protect you."

My eyes widen and I begin thinking back on Weiss' words '_I have everything to prove to her_'. Since Weiss and I left the Eastern Dormitories she has been acting different. Claiming she needs to become stronger if she wants to protect me.

What did Cinder to do her in there that Weiss felt so powerless? That has her so on edge that she feels the need to fight my sister right after getting her arm fixed? Weiss isn't under any form of manipulation . . . I know how Weiss is, and even though she is acting slightly out of character. This is still the determined Weiss I know. The Weiss that refuses to give up because of that overly stubborn nature of hers, but she does not need to fight my sister to protect me.

"Yang, why do you two need to fight? You just said that you support the two of us fully." My voice is much calmer now. I realize that I cannot stop them from trying to destroy each other, but at the very least I can try to understand what it is that makes them both so set in their ways. Especially Weiss who knows she has no chance of beating Yang, from their very first argument Weiss knew that her only advantage over Yang was within a debating situation, and in any physical battle it was a simulated loss each time.

"Ruby." Yang whispers as she takes Ember Celica from her drawer and places them on her forearms in their lightweight bracer form. "There comes a time when a person realizes they can't just sit back and let others come to their aid, even at the smallest signs of danger . . . it makes them feel weak-"

_. . . B-By going over there I made Weiss feel weak?_

"-and being weak is a feeling nobody enjoys. I'm sure Weiss is happy you went there to help her out, but I bet when you arrived she was perfectly fine. Probably resting up, and in a panic you wake her up from her dream. I'm sure she was elated to see you, but after that moment registers . . . there is no other way to look at it, except that you don't think she is capable of handling herself. And if you don't think she can handle herself . . . then sure as hell I don't think she can handle herself, or even protect you if she can't protect herself. That's Weiss' mindset right now, Ruby."

"Y-Yang . . . how did you know that she was fine when I got there?" I look at my sister, completely dumbfounded that she interpreted the whole situation without even getting a single word on it.

"Ruby, when it comes to being challenged to a fight, and reading the look in someone's eye when they challenge me, I am the best there is." Yang's places on a black tanktop and takes off her short shorts to replace them with grey jogging pants. "That look Weiss gave me wasn't of hate or anything . . . it was the same look she gave me early today, and that look was screaming to me 'I am more than capable of taking care of Ruby' and if that's how she wants to settle this . . . then so be it."

Yang walks over to Blake's mini-fridge, taking out a can of her favorite energy drink, Monster Energy. She keeps it in her hand as she starts to walk out the door, and I quickly follow behind. Yang is more determined than ever, and although I love it when she is determined for a fight, this is the one fight I wish she wasn't so ready for

As Yang turns the corner I pause. Realizing that this entire time I have been worried for Weiss. Not for a single moment when Weiss said she wants to challenge Yang did I show Weiss that I believed she could win. My only responses were for her not to fight Yang, and further demoralizing my girlfriend by saying she will get destroyed.

Weiss wasn't planning on fighting Yang initially. Weiss wanted to see just how much I believe in her combat abilities, and I made the mistake of being far too worried. Weiss is about to fight Yang to prove that she can protect herself, and protect me, but she's not trying to prove it to Yang . . . Weiss is trying to prove it to me.

_Ruby you goofed. You've really done it this time! Weiss is going to get destroyed and . . . No, it's because you think she is going to get destroyed that this is going on. I shouldn't be asking Yang to hold back, I should be encouraging Weiss to go into overdrive._

I quickly rush around the corner that Yang went from earlier. I sprint down the steps to get out of the Dormitory and use my semblance the moment I step outside to go into the combat training building. As I enter I look up at a sigh that points towards where the tunnel entrance to the sparring arena is. Rushing my way into the arena I am happy to see they are not starting yet, as a matter of fact, they are seconds from starting. Yang already has Ember Celica in their gauntlet form, and Weiss has Myrtenaster drawn and is already in her fencing stance.

"W-Wait!" I scream as I run in from the entrance tunnel. The two turn their heads to the side to look at me as I disappear in a flurry of rose petals and appear right between them, panting from the heavy sprint I had to enter to get here just in time.

"Ruby, I'm not going to back down . . . so please, don't try to stop me from facing your sister." Weiss whispers. I can hear Myrtenaster being holstered while I try to catch my breath, my hands on my knees, and my white tips blocking my sight of the two of them.

"I wasn't . . . going . . . to say . . . that" I pant between words. After a few heavy breaths I stand upright. Looking from Yang to Weiss, two of the most important people in my life.

"Then what is there to say, Ruby?" Weiss asks me, a faint trace of annoyance in her tone.

"Yang . . . I'm sorry." I whisper to my sister as I walk over to Weiss and claim her lips in a gentle kiss. I place my hands on her shoulders, holding her close to me as our lips lock. I refrain from sending my tongue into her lips . . . I don't want her mind fogged up before her match. "Kick her ass, Weiss . . . After today you and I will start training harder than ever. I won't let you get stronger without me."

"Ugh! About time you figured it out, Ruby . . . sheesh, do you know how hard it was to spin that tall tale that she has something to prove to me? Sheesh! She proved herself to me this morning!" Yang groans out at how slow I was on the uptake.

"Well you're about to have a much harder time, Yang." I tease, giving Weiss one more kiss. Weiss has a large blush on her lips as I pull away the second time, and turns her head after I catch her softened stare.

"I didn't ask for your support, Dolt . . ." She pouts at me. I love it when she calls me a dolt.

"Tsundere~!" I hear a voice call out, and when I look towards one of the front row seats I see Blake sitting there and gesturing me over.

"Say that again and I will get a Doberman you delinquent!" Weiss shouts at Blake while I dash over and hop up the high wall, barely grasping the edge and climbing over with minor assistance from Blake.

"Blake, how did you know we were here?" I ask while leaning against the wall to get as close a look I can to the oncoming battle.

"I was in the bathroom . . . honestly, Yang wasn't trying on my bra . . . We were experimenting a bit and well . . ."

"Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!"

"I was topless, my bra was the closest, and since I am faster I ran in the bathroom and she put on my bra to play it off . . ."

"I didn't need to know that!" I groan.

"I moved your sex-scented clothing last night . . . you will listen to every detail I have to say, whenever I want to say it, Little Red." Blake smirks at me, and I slam my head against the top of the wall in defeat.

"Here I come, Weiss!" I hear Yang scream. My eyes dart to the two of them. Knowing Weiss she will keep her distance since Yang is way deadlier at close range.

"Weiss is going in close." Blake whispers to me.

"What? No way. Weiss is not a-" I pause a moment. Weiss is doing this to prove a point to me. Going in close and beating Yang in Yang's comfort zone is the biggest statement Weiss could make. Blake is right, Weiss will be going in close.

I watch as my sister takes off for Weiss, and Weiss forms a glyph below her that accelerates her straight towards Yang like an ice skater. I watch in awe as she swirls around Yang. Appearing and disappearing with lighting quick speed, but that ends the moment Yang supercharges her semblance.

Yang is at her best when she is determined, and when she is at her best she is capable of exerting a very concentrated amount of aura with her semblance that it acts as powerful repelling force. That is exactly what happens now, and Weiss goes backflipping through the air, using her glyphs to adjust her rotation and land gracefully on her feet, but with my sister already several feet from striking distance.

Their exchange begins with Weiss blocking my sister's first punch. Each punch being tapped away by Myrtenaster, but Weiss needing to backtrack to keep just enough distance to be able to keep blocking and smacking away the sword.

Deep in the back of my mind I feel Weiss will lose, but I don't let those thoughts come to surface. I believe in my girlfriend, no matter who she faces, I believe that she will do what it takes to win . . .

My heart sinks when I see Yang smack Myrtenaster out of Weiss' hand, leaving Weiss standing in complete shock from being disarmed.

"You forfeit, Weiss?" I hear Yang's voice echo against the high ceiling of the arena.

"Not a chance, Yang. You'll need to knock me out" Weiss scowls.

I am surprised to see Yang immediately wind up her right hand for her most powerful punch, and Weiss appears to be surprised too, because all she does is raise her hands and close her eyes to brace herself for the hit.

"Shit." I hear Blake whisper, but my eyes are locked on to what is about to happen.

_Move, Weiss . . . duck it . . . do SOMETHING! _I cry out in my head. All of my worries beginning to surface within what are the ending seconds of the fight.

I watch as Yang's arm glows a bright orange while she delivers the punch, but the moment it gets close to passing Weiss' left hand, a large, blue glyph forms – the glyph Weiss forms using Myrtenaster to propel herself, and instead Yang's punch bounces off the randomly appearing Glyph and sends my sister flying several yards back.

_What just happened!? H-How did Weiss do that without Myrtenaster!?_

Weiss looks down at her left hand in shock, then back at Yang. I think all four of us are completely amazed at what just happened, and Weiss deciding it may be best to test this new phenomenon out further, extends her left hand and begins to focus her aura.

"Not a chance Weiss! Whatever the hell that was! You're not using it again!"

Yang screams while firing Ember Celica at Weiss in a rapid barrage of buckshots. I watch as Weiss stands there calmly, moving her hand to block off each shell, making them bounce off a small glyph that is centimeters from her palm. The shells ricocheting off of the glyph and flying several yards before exploding after hitting the ground.

It's at this moment that I see a sight that scares me beyond anything.

Weiss' eyes are glowing a crystal blue, and the stance she is taking while blocking each shot.

It is exactly how that woman . . . Cinder . . . was blocking my shots from Crescent Rose.

* * *

Hm . . . I don't think that's a good sign . . . Is it?


	36. Powerless

Well, our heiress is in a battle with Yang! Just what did Cinder do to her!? Hopefully this isn't a flashback chapyer, because then I'd just be trolling!

As always, reviews reviews reviews xD I need to know what you guys think! Also, nobody has found the easter egg yet :o Sheesh.

* * *

**_POV: WEISS?_**

**_Chapter 36 – Powerless_**

"Who . . . are you?"

_"I am you, and you are me."_

"That does not answer my question . . ."

_"I'm a manifestation of your sorrow and determination."_

"But why do I only see you now? Are you . . ."

_"I am you, and you are me."_

I stand dumbfounded as I stare at my left hand. The hand that just effortlessly pushed Yang away, and more impressively deflected her strongest punch without me even breaking a sweat. I take a deep breath, gazing around for Myrtenaster briefly, but it is blade-first into the ground currently behind where Yang is standing. How could I be careless enough to get disarmed!

That doesn't matter now. I will win this match. I must win this match.

_"I can help you, Weiss . . . Just let me take over, and all will be well."_

"I don't need you" I whisper to myself . . . literally to myself, but some weird force makes me lift my left arm, and forms one of my largest glyphs to date, before compressing down into the palm of my hand. I blink, but when I open my eyes I am no longer in the arena, and Yang is no longer in front of me.

I am now in a space of infinite darkness, yet I can see clearly for miles. I begin walking forward, but I walk into something. I hold my hands out to what feels like a magical wall, and soon it becomes visible . . . it's one if my glyphs. I quickly turn left and enter a short jog to go around the glyph, but another stops me, perpendicular to the first. I continue to try to get around them, but two more glyphs appear from my attempts, trapping me in a box from my own semblance.

"I am not your enemy." I hear a voice whisper. I've never taken time to hear many recordings of myself . . . but that voice is mine. I'm certain of it. I look behind me, and standing there inside the box with me is an exact copy of me, but there's something different about her.

She has her hair down instead of in the twintailed fashion I have my hair in. Her eyes are glowing, with streaks of aura leading out the outer-corner of her eyes. The two aura streaks then trace down her cheeks, mimicking tear streaks.

"Then what are you? And why are you crying? Why am I here? Where did you come from?" I ask in a flurry of questions, and all she does is wave her hand between us, making a small table and two chairs appear with two filled teacups sitting in front of each chair.

"I am a manifestation of your sorrow and determination. During my creation you were crying, you were sad, and you were determined to get your arm fixed, which is why my displayed body is like this. You are here because I wish to prove that I am not your enemy . . . as for where I came from . . ." She sighs, exactly how I would and takes a seat in her chair, beckoning me to take a seat as well.

"Yes, where did you come from? What is with my left arm? Why am-" I start asking more questions but she raises her hand very gracefully to stop me.

"The more questions you ask, the longer we will be here. I came from the deepest depths of your mind." She answers prior to taking a sip of her tea.

"Well, I've always had my mind, so again . . . where did you come from?" I ask in a slightly angrier tone, and decide that taking a sip of some tea would be the best thing to relax myself.

"Then you mean to ask HOW I got here . . . and I will gladly answer based on the knowledge of the person who helped me manifest."

"Wait, so you were created by-?"

"No, I was always here . . . the very weak voice within your mind that tells you it will be alright, or encourages you to go through with the near impossible. I am your sorrow, and your determination. Cinder's healing of your arm, has a side effect. She uses her own aura to assist the healing, and whatever object that she used her aura on is still in your . . . my? . . . our arm."

I listen to what is going on, and upon hearing her words . . . my words? I look down at my left arm, recalling Cinder mentioned for me to go to her should I have questions of the side effects . . . I suppose this is one of them, or possibly the only one.

I gasp as I feel the ground shaking . . . or the floor to an abyss? There is nothing below me, only darkness, but here I am. This is all so weird to me! I just wish to go back.

"W-what was that shaking?" I ask, hoping that the invisible floor doesn't disappear on me . . . does that make sense?

"Yang is firing Ember Celica at us . . . I am taking care of it." She whispers.

"Wait! You are controlling my body!?" I slam my hand on the table, making my teacup rattle on the surface.

"For the moment, yes. It's either that, and we may talk . . . or you can be blown to smithereens by explosive buckshots . . . and we can talk while you're in a coma. Now, may I continue to explain how I am here?"

I nod my head, gesturing her to continue while I take another sip of my tea, and feel another rattling on the ground.

_Yang, of all the good for nothing times! Can you stop trying to blow me up for one second!?_

"As I was saying . . . Because there is more aura in your body than your body is actually adept to. I am now here as a storage for that aura. I am in no way here to take over your body. I am simply here to assist when you undergo stress, or experience a drive to complete an objective because-"

"You are my sorrow, and my determination." I complete her sentence before taking another sip. She looks at me with a smile on her face and nods her head.

"That is correct. According to the knowledge I have of this treatment . . . which must be from Cinder's thoughts at the time I was manifested . . . at the end of the full healing process, your body will either accept the excess aura, or reject it. Meaning I will either go back to the faint voice in the back of your head, or I will stay as I am now, and make an appearance should you need me."

"I'm not sure I would want to have an extra voice in my head." I say while raising an eyebrow. "Last thing I need is to hear voices in my head, I'll end up in a psychiatric center before noon."

"It is not like that, Weiss. I only appear when you are exceptionally determined . . . or undergoing deep sadness. Must I say again what I am?" I shake my head and gesture for her to continue.

"You want to win this fight . . . We want to win this fight, and we will." The look in her eye is so focused on me. She truly is my determination manifested. She stands up and walks towards me, extending her hand for me to stand up.

"So, you are here to assist me?" I ask, grasping her hand just before another tremor makes the table and ground shake. She turns me around, a mirror appearing in front of us. I see us both standing side by side.

A closer look at our reflection, and I can see that her right eye is no longer glowing, but now my right eye is. I reach up to my eye while still looking in the mirror, watching as the displayed aura sways around my fingers. I look back towards her reflection, and the tear-streak of her aura is gone. Instead the aura only exists around her eye, and extends partially past the outer corner, and mine does the same.

I blink, and now her hair is up in the exact same twintails as me. I turn my head to look at her, and she smiles at me without any form of awkwardness or negative emotion in her gaze.

"I will help you reach the goals you desire the most. Do we still remember how to wield Myrtenaster in our right hand?" She asks, making me raise my eyebrow.

"Of course, do you think I . . . we . . . UGH this is so confusing! Yes, I trained in using both hands with Myrtenaster."

"I know that, but are you still capable of doing so? It has been exactly 1 year, 3 months and 18 days since you last held it in your right hand during a battle."

"Wait, how did you-"

"I have always been in your mind Weiss . . . I am you, and you are me."

I blink again, and she is gone. I look in front of me and the mirror is gone as well. I gaze around me, no longer seeing the four glyphs that have kept me encaged in this area, and the table is gone as well.

"Shall we?" I hear a voice whisper in my right here, and when I turn it is her . . . me, whatever!

I nod my hand, reaching out to grasp her hand, and the moment our fingers connect, a blinding flash disorients me, and when I open my eyes I can see Yang standing there with a massive pile of used shotgun shells at either side of her. I gaze around the room, seeing small holes scattered everywhere as if the area was just under mortar fire.

_"I told you I will take care of your body while we spoke. She is out of ammo. We won't . . . you won't lose."_

_That leads me to one more question . . . how am I able to use a glyph out of my hand?_

_"Cinder used dust to mend your arm . . . and it is still present. Our semblance can be unified with dust, is that not correct? And I suppose we will only know how many different types she used-"_

_Through trial and error._

I smile, holding my hand up and taking a deep breath. I do my best to picture my light-blue glyph, the one I use to propel myself, the one I have . . . or rather my manifestation has been using to block Yang's attacks, but that is only one of its uses.

"Sorry, Yang . . . but I can't lose to you." I shout, my arm glowing along certain portions, which I take to believing that is where the dust is placed within my arm. I swipe my left hand horizontally. During every few inches of travel a small shot of my aura exits the glyph and spirals unpredictably through the air as it takes an indirect route towards Yang.

After my complete motion there are a total of eight beams traveling through the air. I begin to calmly walk forward as each one begins to focus their trajectory on Yang. The exhausted Blonde looks at me, and instead of making an attempt to dodge the attack she stands there. A focused stare in her eyes as all eight of my attacks land head on with an echoing impact as two smash into the ground, creating a small cloud of debris around her.

_Why didn't she dodge it? I don't want to win like this!_

_"Her semblance . . ."_

My eyes widen at the realization that Yang is possibly on her last leg, which is normally a good thing when facing someone, but that is when Yang is at her deadliest potential.

"Sorry, Weiss . . . but it's game over." I hear a voice from within the debris, and within the next second the debris is disbursed by a sharp gust of wind.

Where the debris was initially gathered I see Yang standing, and in her right hand is Myrtenaster. My eyes go wide when she throws my weapons out of the sparring area towards where Ruby and Blake are sitting, and begins to crack her knuckles. She is sporting that arrogant smirk of hers, and crashes her knuckles together to activate her semblance.

I was expecting there to be a surge of heat, but it is far more intense than that. Surrounding Yang the floor begins to sizzle and smoke from the pure concentration of her aura. I punch from her now will surely kill me, at least if I did not have this newfound power, and Yang is under the same thought process.

"One punch is all I need, Weiss. Power I've got!" Yang shouts and begins running straight for me, leaving scorch marks in the floor on each of her steps. I fire off several beams of aura, but then hiss and evaporate once they get close to her.

_I need to block . . . I need to block this!_

_"Very well. It shall be done."_

I look down at my left hand. My entire arm starting to glow immensely. I look down at the ground around me starting to freeze and gain a snowy surface, and when I exhale I can easily see my breath in a thick puff of smoke that takes forever to disappear.

I grab my left wrist with my right hand, holding my palm out towards Yang as my glyph forms. As my glyph appears there is an even wider smirk on Yang's face when she jumps in the air and winds up her right hand. All the aura surrounding her body suddenly becoming a blinding light embracing her right fist. She doesn't want to just knock me out . . . she wants to go through the defense that blocked her punch so effortlessly earlier.

_I can't lose . . ._

_"You won't lose"_

_I need to win._

_"You will win."_

_No matter what._

_"Is that your resolve?"_

_It is . . ._

_"Very well."_

As Yang punch connects with my glyph, I watch as the glyph expands to cover my body from the massive heat radiating from the punch. I can feel her hand trying to burn through, and the screeching in the air from her punch slowly tearing through my guard begins to worry me. A swirl of hot and cold air surrounds us, creating a small hurricane that hides us within the debris.

My hand begins to shake, and I feel myself being pushed back by the sheer power of her punch.

_I can't lose_

My arm flashes an icy blue, ice forming below me that freezes my heels into the ground.

_I'm not doing this for myself anymore._

I can feel the force of the impact from Yang's punch begin to fade, but the pure power in that strike is still present. I hear the sound of a cracking mirror, and when I look at my glyph I see a slight sever in the center that begins to spread and grow bigger, almost like a spider web.

_Not yet . . . not yet!_

"Sorry, Weiss . . . nothing is unbreakable when I am around" Yang says with complete confidence as she pulls her fist back and immediately throws another punch, but this time with her full bodyweight into it.

I feel tears begin to swell in my eyes. I don't want to lose. I want Ruby to look at me and know that I can protect her. I want to be strong for her, and for myself. I want the power to protect my Dolt from anyone and anything. Yet here I am, tears running down my cheek with Yang about to shatter my arm into another dimension . . . No wonder Ruby is so protective of me. I saved her one time in the Emerald Forest, and since then she has watched over me as a friend and as a leader. Taking punches for me that no other person could ever hope to survive, and even smiles at me afterwards and say she is glad I am okay. The same girl that dragged me out of prom, thinking I was weak when it came to alcohol, and couldn't trust me to socialize without believing I would be taken advantage of. I don't want to be that powerless girl. I want to be able to be the one to finally take a punch for Ruby, and not just one punch . . . as many as it takes to keep her safe. Ruby Rose is now the most important gem in my life . . . and I am too useless to prove that.

_"Sorrow, anger, determination . . . You have the power at your disposal, Weiss . . . use it."_

_She's about to destroy me . . . Ruby was right._

_"Are you giving up before the battle is decided?"_

_Since when do I ever do that!?_

_"Good, now fight."_

I nod my head, focusing on my arm, and I smile as my blue glyph turns red instead. Yang's eyes widen at the change, but she still goes through with her punch. As it connects this time, Yang and I look at each other. Her smirk turns to a smile, and she gives a brief nod of her head before pushing the rest of her aura into her fist, blinding me with her full power. At the same time I close my hand from an open palm into a tight fist. The red glyph turning black and detonating itself with the aura it absorbed from Yang's first full power punch. At first it's a detonation that makes an each shattering explosion and covers Yang in black debris, but the full force behind it destroys my own glyph and sends me flying back milliseconds afterwards.

As I fly back, I can see the small hurricane of blue and yellow we formed during our exchange. I peek to my left, Blake is hopping over the wall and running towards the other side of the hurricane, most likely where Yang is. Ruby hops onto the wall herself, and disappears in a flurry of rose petals. I peek over my shoulder to the quickly oncoming wall. I wish it was quicker, everything is moving so slow right now. Before I make contact I feel a sharp force in my left hip, strong enough to force me to change directions and now go flying to my right.

I look down and all I see are rose petals, and a tight grasp forming around my waist. Eventually I come to a stop, and when I am let go I collapse to my knees. My aura is drained, and my body is undergoing a huge strain. Is this another side effect?

"Weiss. Don't you ever do something that dangerous again!" I can hear Ruby screaming at me. I look down at my knees and see another pair in front of mine. I lift my head to see Ruby, or rather 3 Ruby's looking at me with a smile that overlaps on all of them.

She begins to say something else, but I can't understand it or read the lips of any of the three Ruby's. I am dizzy and my peripheral vision is fading to blackness. Eventually I feel my entire body slump, and my eyes close shortly after.

_Ruby saved me again._

* * *

So, now we have a little info on what Cinder did to Weiss . . . and I suppose this theory may also apply to Neo *wink wink*

Feedback :D Pwetty pwease with Weiss Cream on top?


	37. Rough Around The Edges

_**POV: CINDER FALL**_

_**Chapter 37 – Rough Around the Edges**_

"You know, just because she was angry when you told her doesn't mean she will be angry forever. Once she calms down and thinks about it she'll be sure to come and find you."

I sigh as I listen on to the babbling of the sarcastic, silver-haired boy behind me while I sit at the edge of the roof, my feet hanging over with my right leg over my left, and below them is a three story drop to the green grass.

"She won't come after me. She won't leave the side of her precious snow angel after I was able to get my hands on her so easily. Right now she is probably balancing between training herself to be capable of keeping me from her precious heiress, who has been unconscious for what has it been . . . four days now? And actually being by her lover's side, waiting for those crystal blue eyes to open once again." I smile, picturing the girl I met at the CCT Tower. The fire in her eyes burned brighter than anything I have ever seen.

_I need to meet that girl once more . . . in all her glory._

"If that girl will wake up . . . just how much of your aura did you put in that dust? If you put nearly as much as you did with Ne-"

I look over my shoulder at him with a stare that cuts him off mid-sentence.

"You will not compare that girl to Neo. Neo was an emergency case, and I owed her . . . Unfortunately I lost my calm while treating Neo, putting in an unfortunate side-effect, as well as not being able to fully heal her." I feel my gaze starting to soften and quickly look back ahead of me before Mercury can see my weakened stare. It is early in the morning, and the sun has not risen yet, which is actually the reason I am up here. I've been awakened from my slumber many times by the sunrise piercing my eyelids through the window, and for once I want to be ready for it.

I suppose that is not the only reason I am up here. My second reason for being up here is making her entry right now.

"You're late . . . yet again." I sigh as the pink and brown-haired girl appears ahead of me, and slightly above. She has her parasol open and uses it to fight gravity's pull on her descent while landing with a mild thud on my lap. She closes her umbrella and looks at me with that always present smile of hers, and both her eyes are her natural color – a lovely light brown that I remember seeing the very first time I met her several years ago.

"Ice cream, and an Ice cream lover. Tell me, Cinder, do you lick around the edges, or dive right in?" I quickly look over my shoulder at Mercury who stands there with that smug look on his face. I grit my teeth and begin to reach for the small pouch on my hip, but before I can I feel the weight on my lap disappear, and when I look to my lap, there is a lack of Neo.

"Ouch, did I hit a nerve? Well I suppose when you're a-" Mercury begins, but for some reason he pauses. When I look to him I begin to giggle when I see Neo with her blade taken out of her parasol and holding it to Mercury's neck. I take a closer look at her eyes, and I see one of them is a dark brown, and another a lovely shade of pink, and according to my logging of Neo's attitude when her eyes are those two color . . . there is a probability she will kill, unless I disapprove. I've only known Neo to kill one time against my orders, and her eyes were brown and white at the time.

"Cat got your tongue, Mercury? Or are you just not an ice cream fan?" I whispers with clear amusement in my voice. I watch as Neo brings the blade a little closer to his neck, pressing it to his skin, but not cutting it. Not yet at least.

"Alright, alright . . . I don't trust our tri-colored killer with a blade to my neck, or to my hair. Do you know how long it takes me to get my hair like this?" Mercury says, always full with his sarcastic and relaxed remarks, even when he knows she can, and will, kill him.

"Does that sound like an apology to you, Neo?" I watch as the blade gets pressed tighter to his neck, causing a very thin trickle of blood to start working its way down the length of the blade. Mercury's eyes follow the blade, seeing his blood on it and gulps carefully, although he can't swallow too hard or else his Adam's apple will be brushing along the sharp metal.

"Alright . . . Cinder, Neopolitan. I apologize for my ice cream joke. I, for one, love the creamy treat, and find it a good way to keep Emerald from killing me during her menstruation cycle." I place a hand over my lips to silence an oncoming laugh, and with my other hand I wave for Neo to lower her blade which she does without question, but takes the chance to elbow Mercury in the stomach as she walks past him to come towards me. As she reaches me her eyes are back to their light-brown color.

"You may go, Mercury. Otherwise I doubt Neo will have the patience to wait for my order to spare you a second time." I say while leaning aside to see him past Neo's thigh.

"I don't think I get paid enough for this." He sighs as he turns around to enter the stairwell, but before he leaves I need to tell him one more thing.

"Mercury."

"Yes?" He pauses, looking at me from over his shoulder.

"Don't think . . . obey." I grin, hearing him suck his teeth, then sigh as he pushes the door open and makes his way inside.

I take a deep breath, relaxing now that Mercury is gone. I motion for Neo to sit next to me at the edge of the building, although there are still no signs of the sun rising, and it may not for another half an hour to an hour. It is a little past 4 am after all.

"Is she awake yet?" I ask as Neo carefully sits herself to my right, placing her parasol behind her. She looks at me and shakes her head, then downturns her head. She is upset, and I bet I know why.

"Neo, I do not have any feelings for Weiss Schnee. Get that through your head." I sigh, reaching out to grasp her chin, turning her head so I can see the pink of her hair, hidden on the other side of her head. As I successfully turn her head she looks at me, and then breaks her gaze from me.

_She knows I hate that, damnit._

"Neo, look at me."

She doesn't budge.

"Neo . . . look at me" I command. I can see the growing glow of my eyes begin to illuminate the left half of her tri-colored outfit. Yet again she doesn't respond.

That's it!

I reach out, clenching my left hand around her throat, forcing her to look at me.

"I saved your life, and this is how you repay me? I could've left you there. I didn't ask you to play the heroic little girl and aid me against those guys! You think I am satisfied that I was able to keep you alive? I'm not. I hate what I did!" I snarl, and that is what makes Neo look at me with tear stricken eyes. Her body's trembling at my words, but she hasn't heard the full part of what I have to say.

"I hate myself. I was able to keep you alive, but I couldn't let you keep that soothing voice of yours. I did everything I could to help you. I fainted from exhaustion three times while I worked to get you back to full health. Nobody else treated you. It was me, and me alone! Do you know why it was only me? Why I didn't let anyone else step within 10 feet of you?"

She looks at me and slowly shakes her head. Her right hand gently grasps my wrist, but my grip doesn't waiver in the slightest. Instead it tightens until she moves her hand away. I tug her closer to me, making her look at my glowing gaze.

"Because I felt responsible when I saw your punctured throat, fractured skull, broken hand, twisted ankle . . . yet when you looked at me you smiled . . . While coughing up blood you had the audacity to smile at me!"

I begin to pant, needing to close my eyes and calm my mind before opening them again and looking at Neo with that same look on her face. That harmless gaze and . . . that smile of hers. The exact same smile she had that day.

Why does she always smile? What the hell is wrong with her!?

When I look back at her, her smile fades slightly, and her eyes begin to close. I realize I am still clenching her throat and quickly let go, hearing slightly heavy pants as she takes fresh air into her lungs. She has always been like this. Even when I threaten her life myself she makes no attempt to stop me. If I were to grab her blade and hold it to her throat she would only close her eyes and patiently wait for an end. I should know, I've done it to her before after she killed a Faunus who I wanted to interrogate after it(?) had the unfortunate luck of seeing the White Fang operating from the warehouse in Southeast Vale several months ago.

"Damnit, Neo. You act like you don't care if I kill you."

I watch as she places a hand to her throat, and after hearing my words she looks at me and nods her head.

"I've known you for what? Two years? And I still don't understand your thought process. I don't even know what your real name was back then . . . What was that story you tried to sell me? You wanted to see which color would look better in your hair, so you used two different colored hair dyes? And then added a white streak for shits and giggles? Don't think I bought that crap for a second . . . but it did make it easier to find a name for you, although I'm sorry the hair color became permanent . . . trust me, I like Neapolitan ice cream a lot, but not enough to leave you with such an odd hair combination . . . but it does look nice."

For some reason I always become a mild chatterbox when I am with Neo. Every time I ask a question I can hear that sweet voice of her from two years ago answering me through the look in her eyes.

"Anyway, Was Ruby Rose at her bedside like always?"

Neo inches closer to me, nodding her head before resting it on my shoulder.

If Mercury saw us like this right now he would never let me live it down.

"I see. Looks like I won't be able to check on Weiss' arm anytime soon. She must have really pushed herself into a new gear if she has been out cold for this long. I doubt her body will accept my aura. It doesn't seem she can handle the extra power and extra fatigue that comes with it."

I can feel a tug on my sleeve, and when I look down at Neo she is smiling at me and nodding her head.

"Of course you'd be happy with that. You're the only person who has been compatible enough to hold that much of my aura, and even keep every bit of it. You are inhuman, Neo."

I shake my head, starting to push away from the edge of the building so I can stand up, but her grip on my sleeve stops me, and the softened look in her eyes lets me know what she wants. I am not sure how it developed, but I can read her emotions through the slightest change in her stare or body language. Even by how many times she blinks, or how quick she is breathing. Neo can't hide a thing from me for that specific reason, and it has sprouted into a no-secrets rule between us. Actually, that rule has been very one-sided since I don't like to share all of my thoughts.

"I gave you one four days ago after your skirmish with Ruby, Neo. You do not need another already"

Her softened stare doesn't budge the slightest. I try to tug my arm away to get my sleeve from her grip, but she doesn't release it at all.

"Neo, you are not getting one and that is final! Now let me go!" I hiss, but she still refuses to let go of my arm. I shoot my left hand out, jamming my index and middle finger into her shoulder, paralyzing her arm for a few seconds and making her release me, but at the same time she uses her other hand to grab the hand I just struck her with, and still keeps her eyes locked to mine.

"You pesky little-" I take a deep breath and look over my shoulder to the closed door of the stairwell.

"You really want one that badly?" I ask while turning my head back at her.

She gives a quick nod of her head, and smiles when I sigh. It's my usual tell that I've given up with arguing with her.

"Fine, make it quick."

It's not even a second before I give her the okay to do as she wishes. She places her hand on my shoulder and leans up to press her lips to mine. She is always so elated when I give her a kiss. It became my reward for her once a month, then twice a month, and now it has been a once a week thing, but she has been getting greedy and has hustled herself several extras.

I slide my right arm underneath her paralyzed limb, pulling her closer to me as our lips lock. She knows better than to try to add tongue – at least not until I provoke it. She has this little thing of hers with tugging on my lower lip, not that I mind, but she always seems to favor that motion over anything else, and now is no different.

I can feel her soft lips tugging at my lower lip. Her movements are so slow and patient, waiting for me to make a move so she can counter. The second I try to pull myself back she darts forward, not allowing me to do so. Just like her fighting style: patient, yet aggressive. The exact way I taught her to be.

Reluctantly she pulls away after about half a minute, respecting my command for it not to be too long, although she has such a goofy smile on her face now that I can't help but shake my head.

"Satisfied?" I ask while moving my hand from her back, and as usual she gives me a cheek to cheek smile and lays her head on my shoulder.

Do not get me wrong. I cherish Neo's company. I can safely say she is the closest person to me, although I will never utter those words out loud. She can be such a naïve girl when it comes to being near me, yet on the battlefield she is the most feared person, no matter the occasion.

"Alright, Neo. I need you to deliver something for me . . . to Ruby Rose."

I feel her clench on my shoulder with her un-paralyzed arm. I reach into my pocket to pull out a standard envelope that is sealed with a letter already inside. I hold it between my index and middle fingers in front of Neo's face, waiting a few seconds before she gently takes it from my grip.

"I want her awake when you give it to her, and you are to wait for her response, understood?" I look down at Neo who reluctantly nods her head and slides to her feet while gathering her parasol. She stands at the edge of the building, bowing her head to me. I watch as both of her eyes turn white while she jumps backwards and disappears in a slight flash. Seconds after her disappearance I am greeted by the blinding light of the sunrise.

_Damnit, I should have kept her here a bit longer . . . I could have used her parasol for the damn sun._

"So, as I was saying before . . . do you lick around the edges, or dive right in?" My eyes widen as I look over my shoulder to see Mercury leaning against the doorway with a smirk across his face.

"Get the fuck out of here!" I scream, opening the pouch on my hip and sending several crystallized needles straight after him. He goes wide-eyed and darts down the stairwell. I watch as my crystals enter the doorway before the door closes and curve down the stairs. I let out a smile of satisfaction and a wave of relief when I hear Mercury screaming in pain and cursing in a combination that would make a sailor blush.

"I like to lick around the edges . . . only because I usually get sprinkles." I whisper to myself.


	38. A Cherry on Top

_**POV: NEOPOLITAIN**_

_**Chapter 38 – A Cherry on Top**_

_Hmph! If Cinder thought I was going to do all this running around to check on the Schnee girl for her for free, then she has another thing coming!_

I come to a small landing on top of the medical building within Beacon. The room Weiss Schnee is in is directly below where I am standing, and I made sure to keep the window cracked open to make it easy for me to enter with a little use of my blade to lever the window up. I sit myself down at the edge of the building, sighing at the thought of the black and white-haired girl seeing me in the hospital room. It may not be a pretty sight or as lovely a conversation as I wish it could be, but she didn't train me for my combat ability not to be used. I close my eyes, taking a deep breath as I enter a darkened abyss. The only thing present being a large sofa split into 3 sections by color. From my left to my right the colors are pink, white, and brown. The only other piece of furniture is a sofa behind me that I sit down in that also has the three colors, but the colors are not as organized as the sofa.

"How about that. The tri-colored miracle decides to visit us of her own accord." I hear the arrogance and sarcasm of Coco as she appears on the brown section of the couch.

"Hush Coco. I'm sure she will be wanting two of us to be ready just in case things go sour." Berry says as she appears on the pink portion of the sofa on the other side from Coco, and she is completely right. Honestly, now that I think about it, none of them are ever wrong with what they say . . . they are all different parts of my mind and relay exactly what I am thinking . . . voicing things . . . well, sort of voicing things that I otherwise would never utter . . . well, can't utter . . . this is depressing.

"Awww, you two are always so formal!" A pouting Vanilla appears between the two of them; smiling ear to ear at me. "So, Neo. Why're you blushing, hmmmmmmmmm?" Van asks, extending her hand out for her snow-white parasol to appear, just before she vanishes and appears behind me, draping her arms over my shoulders.

I feel my cheeks redden further at her question, and downcast my head to let my hair hide my cheeks from the other two.

"Hmmm. She does seem to be much happier. Why can't we just know everything she does!? It will make this crap so much fucking easier." Coco groans. Again being the short tempered one . . . even over the simplest of things.

"That's not how it works, Coco . . . we only appear on her will, or when she gets her adrenaline pumping, but she does seem happier. Neo, care to share?" Strawberry smiles at me, being very friendly as always, and with her formal attitude never making it seem like she is prodding, when honestly she is prodding harder than the other two.

"She used to get flustered like this rarely, but it appears to be happening more often than not nowadays" Berry continues.

"Don't think it has to do with Cinder, do you Ber?" Coco whispers to Berry and I look at the two of them with wide eyes prior to shaking my head.

"Ooooo Neo's in love!" Van giggles from behind me and begins to sing,

"Neo and Cinder~ Sittin' in a tree~

K-I-S-S-I-N-G

First comes love, Then comes creaming~

Leave our Neo moaning and practically screaming~!"

My eyes widen at Van's twist on the common made up song, and as I turn around and attempt to strangle her she disappears in that same flash as earlier.

"Awww, don't be mad Neo . . . you should see the things Coco and Berry do when you're not around!" Van continues to giggle. I look over my shoulder to see her standing at the foot of the couch, and behind her are the wide-eyed Coco and Berry.

Wait, my manifestations can do . . . 'that' . . . aren't they in my head!? What the hell!?

_"Ahem, I think you are mistaken Vanilla . . . Coco and I never get along in any aspect . . . why would we get along when it comes to . . . intimacy?"_ I look towards Strawberry while she speaks, noting the clearly visible blush on her face.

_"Precisely, who would wanna do a thing like that with that prissy, goody goody bitch over there?"_ Coco whispers, nodding her head, but I can also see a blush on her face as well.

_"Excuse me!?"_ Berry shouts, and Vanilla walks away, taking a moment to sit on the arm of my chair to watch the upcoming argument with me.

_"Don't get so defensive, sheesh."_ Coco waves her arm, trying to brush her off.

_"You insensitive brat! I think I have proven that I am well past 'goody goody'! I do recall you were screaming for mo-"_ Berry pauses, going wide-eyed as she realizes her slip up and slowly looks at me while Coco is hiding her face within her hand, and most likely covering up a massive blush.

_"Told ya, Neo~!"_ Vanilla giggles, _"So, I am guessing you need two of us right now, huh? Do you need to go into the hospital room again?"_

I nod my head, letting out a soft sigh. I've been running back and forth between Cinder and the hospital for three days now. Making midnight trips for Cinder to monitor when Weiss will be discharged, yet that Ruby Rose is always present and thus not allowing me to get a closer look at Weiss to get a clearer look for any injuries since the white-haired girl is always covered by the hospital blanket.

"That's so boring! Hmph! I don't wanna play with that girl . . . she's all mopey and stuff! I'll get you in the room, but Coco and BerBer will help out! Is that alrighty?"

I nod my head to Vanilla, and Berry lets out a loud sigh.

"Come on Coco, we're on standby." Berry whispers as she stands up from the couch and fades away.

"Prissy little dumbass can't keep her thoughts and tongue to herself, I swear." Coco groans as she disappears while still in that embarrassed sitting position.

"You should just visit us to say hi sometimes~ We aren't that bad are we?" Vanilla slides from the arm of the chair and into my lap, giving me a warm, unnerving smile.

Is this the way I smile at Cinder?

"Anyway~ Let's get you in that room! Vanilla out!" She shouts almost directly into my ear and vanishes again using that white flash of hers. I let out a soft sigh, and on my next blink I am back to looking at the edge of the building.

_Well, come on Van, you're up._

I close my eyes and jump off the edge of the building with my parasol open. When I open my eyes I can hear Vanilla's giggles.

_"Alrighty~! In we go!"_

I see a bright white flash, something similar to lightning, and after the flash fades I am standing within the hospital room. In the far corner is Ruby Rose sleeping in a chair with her head resting on Weiss' leg, and the heiress asleep in a hospital gown, her hair down, and a light blue blanket over her form.

There is a faint beeping in the room, most likely from the device monitoring her heartbeat. From the corner I am standing in I can see the only window of the room along the wall to my left. Along the wall to my right is nothing of value aside from a small table with a 'Get Well Soon' card on it.

I walk over to the table, and open the card up to see something written in bold, black writing, most likely from some sort of sharpie marker. I raise an eyebrow, assuming it is some sort of spelling error as I read the sentence in my head

Wake up soon Weiss, we are Yangxious to see you – B &amp; Y

I shrug my shoulders, and direct my attention towards the fast asleep Ruby Rose. I do not want to get close to her, although it does not appear she has that overgrown scythe of hers nearby which puts me more at ease.

_Berry, Coco, you two are up._

As I blink again, my head is filled with a mild bickering between the two, despite them knowing I called them forth.

_"I said I'm sorry, Coco! . . . I hate it when you insult me. You could have been a little kinder with your insults!"_

_"Since when am I ever kind!? I have called you far worse names than a prissy, goody goody bitch!"_ Coco retaliates.

I am in no rush to wake up the sleeping Reaper, so I stand there with my arms folded, rolling my eyes as I wait for them to finish.

_"Well, all of those so-called 'worse' names were in the bedroom!"_ My eyes go wide, and I quickly draw the line.

_Alright you two. I have to deal with the fact that you both are nymphomaniacs living in my subconscious, but that doesn't mean I accept it . . . I don't know if you two are acting like this on your own, or if I am thinking this up as a form of entertainment, or if some of my subconscious thoughts have you like this, but I don't want to hear another word of your ice cream swirling! I swear, how you two even developed feelings of lust when you two aren't even manifestations of that emotion is beyond my understanding. Actually . . . Berry is my caring and intelligence, so that is no surprise, but you, Coco!_

_"Because, you've been getting really mad at Cinder recently . . . yet deep down there is some affection, and I am assuming it is rubbing off on me . . . lovestruck puppy bitch"_ Coco taunts, making me stomp my foot on the floor hard in a pout.

_Am not!_

_"Are too."_ She repeats again

_I am not in love with Cinder!_

I stomp again, not liking where this conversation is heading at all.

_"Sorry to say, Neo, darling . . . but you sort of are. Many times during a fight you worry more for if you should kill or bring the person alive . . . because you don't know which one will get you more praise from her . . . it's a rather unhealthy addiction you have."_ Berry says in a calm tone.

_I am not addicted to Cinder Fall!_ I shout in my head, slamming my umbrella on the ground and completely forgetting I am in the hospital room.

"Who's there!?" I hear a high pitched voice ask, and when I look at the bedside I can see the silver eyes staring right at me, making me gulp.

_"Damnit, the bitch woke up. Nice going Neo"_

_Shut the fuck up, Coco!_

"You're that . . . Neo girl." She slowly stands up. I make another quick look around for her weapon, and become much more relaxed since I do not see it. I'm scared of fighting her only because I may end up getting the Weiss girl caught in the crossfire, and Cinder would be far less than pleased were that to happen.

I reach into my jacket pocket to pull out the sealed envelope and toss it over to her before she has a chance to advance at me.

"What's this?" She asks, keeping her eye on me while she carefully lowers to a crouch to pick up the envelope.

_I hate it when people ask me anything that's not a yes or no question!_

I sigh, sitting down on the chair near the table with the get well card on it. Cinder wanted me to wait for her response, so hopefully I can leave here without a hassle . . . or else I will be trying to take another kiss from Cinder for putting me through all this.

_Actually, that's not a half bad idea . . . Maybe I could try for one every 3 days!_

I ponder on ways to inch up my amount of monthly Cinder kisses, and I don't even realize at first that the silver-eyed Reaper is standing in front of me with the letter in her hand.

"Tell her I will believe her when Weiss' aura levels are no longer off the charts." She looks at me with anger in her eyes, but hands me the paper very gently. "And . . . thank you for being quiet . . ."  
I raise my eyebrow, very surprised at how polite she is being now that she has her lover in her sights. I stand up from the seat, shrugging my shoulders as I walk over to the window to take my leave, but I am stopped when she calls out my name for the second time.

"N-Neo, right?"

I look over my shoulder and give her a nod; with each blink my brown and pink eyes switch back and forth.  
"Ummm . . . Could you maybe . . . make both eyes the same color?" She smiles.

_Huh? Hmmm….Coco, take a break. I guess._

"Whatever, I wanted to kill the bitch, but I guess nothing bloody is going to happen today." Coco sighs, and after my next blink I no longer hear her voice.

"Well, at least there's a tiny bit of symmetry on you now . . . I feel better." She nods her head and goes back to sit next to Weiss, leaving me dumbfounded as I stand there.  
Symmetry? What the hell does it matter if there's any symmetry on me? I thought I was an odd one with three voices in my head, but she is just so . . . irregular!

_"You're one to talk, Neo."_ Berry whispers to me, making me roll my eyes out of annoyance.

_I should've let Coco stay._

"Look . . . sorry about the whole thing that happened a few days ago . . . I was . . . not myself." She lets out a loud sigh and looks over her shoulder at me. "Could we like . . . start over? Even though your leader abducted my girlfriend and put dust into her system . . . Also, I had time to think about it . . . tell her I don't like her mind games. AT ALL. And I will be returning her card to her before long, just you wait." She clears her throat, stand up from the chair and walk over to me. I hold onto the handle of my parasol with my right hand, and grab the shaft with my left, ready to draw my blade should she make even the slightest move.

_"Neo you simple-minded girl! Relax before you end up killing an unarmed girl . . . mind you Cinder will never forgive you if you do such a thing to a girl she has taken an odd interest in."_

I take a deep breath, realizing that Berry is right. I let go of the shaft of the parasol, watching as Ruby Rose walks up to me with her left hand extended.

"I'm Ruby . . . and ummm . . . you don't talk much"

I shake my head, shaking her hand and giving her my usual smile. I then turn around, opening the window and standing on the edge.

_Berry, go get Van for me. I'm leaving._

_"Alright."_

I stand patiently at the window, waiting a few seconds for Van's cheery giggles to greet me, but in the meantime Ruby seems to keep trying her attempts to get to know me, but I don't care about knowing her. Throughout my life only one person has gotten to know me, and it still pains her to look at me for one reason or the other.

"So, Um . . . I'll see you some other time? Maybe share a lunch?"

_You need to stop trying._

I nod my head to her and then shrug my shoulders. Eventually I hear the giggling I predicted earlier echo in my head. It's about time Van showed up.

Good, let's get out of here, Vanilla. We're going to the warehouse for now . . . I'll relay her message to Cinder later.

_"Aye aye Captain Neo!"_

I open my parasol and turn around to face Ruby. I give a polite bow as I jump backwards, my eyes turning white with Van's presence, and the familiar blinding flash disrupts my vision as I disappear from Beacon

Academy and end up in Southeast Vale where Roman is once again complaining about the poor workforce he is required to use.

I take a deep breath and make my appearance known, ready to carry out my work for Roman, and hopefully have enough time to retreat to Cinder before long. I hate being away from her.


	39. An Odd, yet Understandable Request

_**POV: ? ? ?**_

_**Chapter 39 – An Odd, yet Understandable Request.**_

It's been a long week thus far, but among the many things happening out within Vale, there are even more events occurring in the small community of Beacon Academy. Team JNPR's Nora Valkyrie was reported to have broken the leader of Team CRDL – Cardin Winchester, about 26 hours ago upon delivering an insult to her partner Lie Ren about his pink streak being . . . 'faggoty' as quoted by Miss Goodwitch in her report and interrogation of the three students involved. Although, my attention has been more focused on a rather odd situation that I was approached on by a very familiar face.

Weiss Schnee has been unconscious for what will be exactly ten days in about four hours, although that is not the full story. Weiss Schnee should have been awake no more than two days after the incident, which would have placed her a day after Yang Xiao Long's hospital dismissal. I was approached by Ruby Rose several hours after the incident with an odd proposal that she wished to implement, and even went as far as to prepare a device based off of blueprints from one of my old classmates. A dusty old Qrow that dared to teach his niece to use one of the most dangerous weapons I have had the courtesy to lay my eyes on.

"Qrow old friend, I fear that your own training device is now being used in a far more protective manner. If she weren't your niece I would never have permitted her to use it in such a method." I say out loud while taking a sip of my coffee, and take a moment to recall the brief meeting I held with Ruby Rose.

* * *

"T-thank you for seeing me Professor Ozpin." I look at the silver eyes of Ruby Rose as she speaks, her gratitude showing in those sweetened silver eyes of hers. A look she definitely received from her mother, and her determination as a huntress is equal to her mother's personality.

"Well, when you bumped into me in the hallway, it was hardly a given choice. It is not my place to refuse helping one of my distressed students. I assume this has to do with your partner Miss Schnee, does it not?" I raise an eyebrow, also interlacing my fingers and using my hands to cover my mouth.

"H-how did you know?" She asks, looking down at her ankles.

"Miss Rose. As a team leader I would expect your initial concerns to be of your teammates, especially when you appear to be a lot closer to one of them than the rest." My words bring a slight brush to her lips, and as she opens her mouth to say something I raise my hand to stop her, "Although it is none of my business of the relations between students, so long as their academics are held in high regards, and yours have increased a steady amount, which I am sure is due to Miss Schnee taking extra time to tutor you."

"T-thanks Professor." She whispers, flashing me another warm smile.

"For what, Miss Rose? My main concern is academics. Now, what is this problem you wished to speak with me about?"

"Well, like you said it's about Weiss, and . . . s-she's sort of in danger, and me coming here is only putting her in more danger, and all I want to do is keep her safe, but by coming here I may not be and . . . I'm going in circles." She takes a deep breath, making a second attempt. "Okay, so Weiss got punched by my sis, Yang. Then went out, met someone that fixed her arm up, but that person put stuff in her arm and-"

I raise my hand to her, nodding my head.

"Before you proceed. If this is an endangerment to Miss Schnee, let us not proceed any further. I am sure you wouldn't come here to me without a possible solution to this problem. You are a bright girl, Miss Rose. So, let us skip the background for now."

"Okay," She goes into her uniform pocket and pulls out a small metal bracelet of some kind with several dials and an adjustable gauge on the side. I recognize the device immediately as one of Qrow's training devices. It was used to restrict the amount of aura one is able to access to make one less reliant on aura, or to learn to use it in small amounts to better themselves in prolonged fights. "I want to put this on Weiss as soon as possible."

"Miss Rose, why would you need my permission? You may ask Miss Schnee upon her dismissal from the hos-"

"No! I want it on her now . . . S-she has a very powerful aura right now and . . . it's because of what happened prior to her spar with Yang. I want to put this on her so her recovery is slowed to make sure she stays asleep for at least another nine days." She looks at me with shaking hands, her fingernails clanking against the training bracelet.

"And you wish her to remain asleep as a safety measure? To know where she is at all times, and also be able to avoid her using her extra supply of aura, is that it? I hope you know that Miss Schnee will not approve of you keeping her out of school for such an extended duration, should she find out."

"S-She won't find out . . . hopefully, and she won't be able to study if . . . if something else happens to her." Ruby looks at me again with those eyes that remind me of her mother. The only other person I recall having silver eyes.

"I assume you know what levels to set her aura at, and whether to increase or decrease it each day?" I raise an eyebrow, amazed at how a training device is now being used in a way completely different from its intended use, but that was just the ability to think out of the box that the niece of Qrow was capable of. The man himself was already a box of chocolate personified. I can only imagine how any of the family after him would turn out.

"Of course! I will set it at 20% the first day to make sure she heals a majority of the times, then lower it to 5% to slow the rest of her healing, and I will raise it to 15% during the last two days to let her aura levels regulate slightly, and finally I will remove it to let her go back to standard." I am very impressed at how deep she has gone into this before bringing it to my attention, although there is one more question I have.

"The standard person could not have their aura restricted below 10% and still heal themselves effectively . . . Is, or was Miss Schnee's aura at such a high amount that you'd feel the need to bring it down to such a low fraction?"

"Professor, she was able to block Yang at full power. Nobody in Vale can block Yang at full power, and on top of that she is currently healing faster than my sister, and that is something else that is impossible. I'm scared for what she is becoming, and I don't want this to continue. Please Professor Ozpin . . . I don't want her to be like this. I'm scared of and for her." The young huntress' eyes begin to tear up, meeting my gaze in hopes of the answer she is searching for.

"I'll accompany you down to the medical building to make sure no hassle is given to you while you apply the device." I take a moment to finish my coffee and stand up from my desk with a hyper cape-wearing girl dashing for the door and holding it open with an overly excited smile on her face.

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" She says at a record pace while I walk past her, unable to hide a smile at how she is able to go from a serious and sorrowful look to the attitude of a hyper child.

_She's just like Summer. A spitting image._

We arrive at the medical building before long, several of the staff taking a moment to stop and greet me, although I have made it clear there is no need for those kinds of formalities. We enter the room where Weiss is with myself leading. As I first open the door I see a brief flash, although there is no lighting, and it is far too bright for a flickering light to cause such a thing.

I decide not to dwell too much on it since there appears to be nothing wrong with the sleeping Weiss Schnee, aside from the fact that she appears to be in too stable of a position health and aura-wise. I can see why her team leader would want to implement something like this simply from the sight of how fast she is healing. It is something subhuman at the very least, and not even some of the best aura-users in the world have recovered from complete exhaustion, fatigue, bruised ribs, and a broken left wrist at such a pace. All of those physical injuries have been reported to have been healed, and all that is left is for her aura to reach a level that her body will accept and she will be awake no later than that.

"Hm. You may place the device, Miss Rose. I will inform the staff that it is not to come off for any reason. I will also allow you to have unrestricted and unlimited access to Miss Schnee's room. So long as you abide by some of the rules we have established here: No eating, no excess noise, and no wandering about the building after certain hours." I watch as Ruby quickly opens up the bracelet and places it over Weiss Schnee's left wrist.

The device begins to glow, and as a typical reaction to having one's aura restricted, I can see a slight uncomfortable wince on the rapier-wielding girl prior to her face settling back down into the relaxed expression she had upon our entering.

"I won't be stepping a foot out of this room after hours, Professor! I'm not leaving her side until she is awake, and I want to make sure I can make any changes to the gauge, just in case." She flashes her warmest smile to me, although her hands still linger on the unconscious student, making me quirk a brow, but not question.

"Good, also, didn't a rather large ammunition shipment arrive for Yang yesterday? I doubt the storage team will be happy to be keeping that in the arrival room until Yang is able to confirm its arrival."

"Actually, Blake took care of that yesterday. She took Yang's ID, her own ID, and the student registration paperwork that has her labeled as Yang's partner." Again I am impressed at the quick ability for Team RWBY to look after their own, but that is just the type of teamwork and support I wish I could see more of in Beacon.

"Then all is well. I suppose I will be taking my leave, then. I am glad to be of service, Miss Rose." I give a soft nod to her, and she gives me a quick farewell before darting about the room to pull a chair to the bedside and sit there next to her partner, although she makes very little attempts to hide that they are more than just partners. Naturally I already knew of their improved relationship. It is not hard once one walks by the two in the hallway a few times to catch their shift from being in such a close proximity to one shoving the other away and starting to utter unprovoked insults that the other takes with a smile, and without question.

As I leave the room I am greeted by my colleague, Glynda Goodwitch. Who happens to be standing with the stern look of constant annoyance she bares.

"Yes, Glynda?"

"After a little checking, I have found that there are three students within the logs that are not registered in a school within any of the kingdoms, despite claiming and wearing a uniform representing Haven. A Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, and Emerald Sustrai."

"I'm already aware of this, Glynda, and I will take care of things when the time calls for it, but right now they are doing no harm." I sigh, already knowing the next onslaught.

"Ozpin, I am sure you are well aware that one of those individuals is the reason for that aura spike in Miss Schnee, and it could be exceptionally harmful if she is able to do it again." Her stare is as cold as ice from her green eyes, and the curl along the right side of her face does no good in hiding the piercing stare, although I have grown to not be as bothered by it. She is very much the person to wear her emotions on her sleeve. As long as it is anger or annoyance.

"She won't be doing it again, Glynda." I state simply as I walk past her. "And if she does, well then I will treat you to a candlelit dinner in Vale. Does that satisfy you?"

"Not in the slightest." She whips with a very mild hostility in her voice. I suppose I chose the wrong words to try to lighten the mood with.

As I exit the medical building with Glynda still voicing her disapprovals to my decision to leave the invading trio alone, I decide to look over my shoulder to say something, but I am treated to a rather odd sight instead.

On top of the roof to the medical center is a girl. I believe she only has brown hair, but when she turns her head I see that the other half of her hair is pink.

_My my, things only seem to get more interesting around here._

It appears she is aware of my gaze and gives a very graceful curtsy in my direction before opening an umbrella and disappearing in a white flash.

_So, that was you then. I see._

* * *

I am snapped out of my flashback upon hearing a firm knock at the door to my office.

"Enter." I say in a clear voice to whoever is on the other side of the door. When I see it open, I am not surprised that it is just the person I wanted to see, and she has arrived in a very timely manner.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" She asks in a very slow, and clear voice.

"Sir? How quaint. Professor will suffice, and please, come in."

My request is acknowledged with a nod as the slim figure enters with a mild grin on her face. As she sits down on the other side of my desk I lean forward to prop my elbows on my desk, observing the Haven uniform before I whisper.

"I am sure you know why I called you here. I have let your presence slide, but I will not tolerate my students being harmed. With that on the table, what is your purpose for setting into my school, Miss Cinder Fall?"


	40. Team RWBY: From Half to Whole

_**POV: BLAKE BELLADONNA**_

_**Chapter 40 – Team RWBY: From Half to Whole**_

"Hey Kittycat! Miss me? Of course you did, cause I missed ya a whole lot." I listen as a hyperactive Yang enter with two shopping bags in her arms, and a smile plastered all over her face. She's in her usual attire, but has a golden scarf tightly wrapped around her neck since there was a slight breeze out today. Although since her and I have been together she tries to pass it off as her 'covering her most looked at asset' (meaning the cleavage she usually shows) since it's apparently only for my eyes now. She has an odd way of charming me, but it always seems to work

"Yang, you've been out of the medical room for a week now, when are you going to relax?" I place my book down on my lap as my blonde brawler walks over to the fridge, reaching into one of the shopping bags and re-filling the door of the mini-fridge with her energy drinks, and taking out a gallon of milk from the other bag and setting it in the center.

"I missed three days of my life from my Blakey! That's a full 72 hours. You have any idea what that does to a girl? I finally get you after who knows how many tries and-"

"Exactly 23 tries, including your most recent attempt that succeeded." I cut in, Yang looking at me dumbfounded at my knowledge.

"Anyway, my first full day as your girlfriend and boom, I'm not there! That's not cool at all." She closes the fridge after sliding her cans closer together to make room for one more, and walks over to her bed – which I am sitting on as usual, and hops up, landing perfectly with her head on my lap.

"As sweet as that is, I think you should be focusing a little more attention on Ruby, and more importantly, her girlfriend who is still out cold." I sigh, thinking of how Ruby must be handling the situation. She comes by the room only once a day, and that is when she needs to shower. The only other times Yang and I see any sight of her is during classes, or in the cafeteria when she is quickly taking in a meal before disappearing. Naturally Yang and I assume she is going back to the medical building to sit with Weiss, but the fact that this has been going on for over a week now has begun to slowly creep into my conscious thoughts.

"It's not like I haven't tried. You've been through the same thing. They won't let either of us anywhere near Weiss' room; only Ruby."

"Yeah, and when you started throwing out threats, Professor Ozpin had to step in. Never thought he would step in on something as simple as you wanting to see your teammate."

"Ugh, don't remind me, and I thought he was cool."

I shake my head at Yang's consideration for someone being cool was to simply give her what she wants on a silver platter.

"Just because he didn't let you see Weiss doesn't mean he is not cool, Yang. Despite him running the school he is very laissez-faire. I find that to be very commendable." I reach down, placing my hand on Yang's cheek and run my fingers deftly along her soft skin.

Eventually her head turns, and I find myself having my fingers and palm treated with several quick pecks from Yang. To think someone who is usually so violent and aggressive could be this gentle, civil, and even rather cute, despite it being in brief intervals, is something that I am sure is very rare, and if not, then it should be.

"Well, I'm sure Weiss will be alright. Not everyone can heal as fast as me. If we're going by the usual hospital duration of people who have a match with me, then Weiss has a few more days before she wakes up."

I look down at Yang with a firm stare from my amber eyes, and she quickly changes her growing smile around and nods her head.

"Too soon I take it?" She asks, and in response I give her a very simple nod.

"Look, let's go to Ozpin's office and ask him if we can see Weiss. It's been over a week; maybe this time he'll give us a break." I suggest, but Yang disagrees, and for the sole reason that she does not want to lift her head from my lap. Eventually I slide my legs from underneath her head and hop down from her bed with her reluctantly following.

"Ugh. Why can't I just snuggle with my girlfriend for a tiny bit longer?" She groans while hopping down from her bed.

"Because you've been smothering me the past week, Yang. You're worse than your sister." I walk over to the door, opening it up and leaving, with Yang closing it behind me and entering a small jog to catch up to me.

"Alright, alright. So I've been a little happier since you said yes to me. You have no idea how tough it is being rejected. For once I was on the 'rejectee' side of things. Usually I'm the one doing the rejecting, so I guess I know how tough it is to be turned down now. But, in the end I still got you." She announces in a loud, clear tone that makes me roll my eyes.

"Yes, Yang. You finally have me, although I am not sure about the appeal of going out with a former White Fang, and a Faunus at that." I smile, feeling the mild anger that rises within her. Deep in the back of my head I have always wondered why Yang ever found any appeal in me. If anything I am her polar opposite of her in every way, yet she's so overly caring to the point that she gets mad at me when I put myself down even slightly. The moment I finish my sentence I feel her arm on my shoulder, and with quick pull she turns me around and places her hands on my shoulders, staring at me with her beautiful lilac eyes. We aren't even halfway down the hallway yet.

"Blake, you need to relax and forget about your past. It doesn't matter anymore."

"I can't just throw a blanket over it and claim the rest of my life to be a happy ending, Yang. I've done things, bad things, and in large quantity that I can't take back. Things that I can never forget, and will surely catch up to me in due time. The only question is when, and how long." I close my eyes and take a deep breath, recalling my informal leave from the White Fang. The moment I separated the train cars and left my last partner – Adam Taurus.

"I don't know about the White Fang. I don't know about what you've done. I don't know about who you've killed, how many, how much guilt you carry, and frankly, I don't care about any of that. But let me tell you what I do care about." Yang whispers to me. I part my lips to argue with her, but of course that argument never reaches the ears I intended them too.

Instead she presses her lips to mine and pushes me firmly into the closest wall, which so happens to be the wall that also holds the door to our dorm room in place. Her hands are still on my shoulders, holding me in place with clenching fingers. I expect that to be as far as the kiss goes, but I am pleased to be proven wrong when her tongue slips past my lips, and further embraces me in her affections. The gentleness she is known to show me is replaced with a slight aggressiveness that suits Yang much more. My heartbeat increases rapidly, as it usually does when Yang kisses me, although she adapted a little technique of hers two days ago where she scratches my ears through my bow and it has proven to draw out unintentional purrs from me.

Thankfully she chooses not to do that this time, but the way she is attacking my tongue with hers is making my head spin. I attempt to gently push her back so I can get off the wall, but she slams me back into it and restrains both of my hands by the wrists by holding them both with one of her hands and keeping them over my head.

"Wow . . . so that's where Ruby learned to be an attacker . . ."

Yang breaks the kiss and we both look over to the voice, seeing the four members of Team JNPR peeking out of their room door. Pyrrha's head is on top, with Jaune's head below, then Ren's and finally Nora being on the bottom, who was also the one who spoke earlier.

"I must say . . . Yang does exhibit the same technique Ruby uses, or rather Ruby uses the same techniques as her sister." Pyrrha responds, still looking at the two of us, and Yang still holds my wrists above my head, but I am far too embarrassed to utter a word.

"You can stop . . . you're embarrassing Blake a bit too much." Yang says firmly to them. Her cheeks aren't even the slightest shade of red. I am sure she is used to showing affections out in the open, but it is not the strongest department for me. I mean, I did kiss Yang at the dance, but I suppose that was different. We weren't really dating then, and people were not openly commenting about how she kisses me. Yang is an aggressive kisser, I know this through several of her aggressive lip locks, but I am put through the same mind-numbing experience nonetheless.

"But Blake was swallowing your mouth during the dance!" Nora shouts out, making me look away and try to pull my wrists from Yang's grip, but she doesn't budge in the slightest.

"Y-Yang . . . let me go." I whisper, but she is still staring over at Team JNPR.

"I said . . . that's enough. Nora." Her voice is much firmer than earlier and I turn my head back over to Team JNPR just in time to see Ren pull Nora inside, and Pyrrha pulling in a fearful Jaune. When the door shuts Yang looks back at me. Her eyes are a bright red, but fade when I give her a thankful smile.

"Thanks." I whisper to her, leaning in to give her nose a soft kiss.

"It's what I do, hehehe." She lets go of my wrists and we continue our way to Ozpin's office. Eventually we arrive at the large double door, but we are greeted by the odd sight of a girl with brown and pink hair standing outside with her outfit being an assortment of white, black, brown, and pink. Being held by its shaft in both of her hands is a very intricately designed pink parasol.

She is standing a few yards from the door and leaning against a wall with her head lowered and staring at the floor. From the view given we can only see the left half of her body.

"Who's she?" Yang leans over to me and asks.

"No clue. She's not in uniform, so she isn't from Beacon, and that outfit is definitely not from any of the other Kingdoms." I answer back as we keep walking over.

We approach the door and are about to knock when we see something fly by our faces and gently press to both of our abdomens. When we look it is the pink parasol, and sure enough, the one holding it is the girl from earlier.

"Hey! What's the big idea? We want to see Ozpin." I am not looking at Yang (Who is to my left at the moment) but I am sure she is giving a death stare to this mystery girl (who is to our right).

"Relax, Yang. I am sure she has a logical explanation . . . At least I hope she does." I say to her without taking my eyes off of the parasol owner. My response earns a soft smile to the girl's lips and she gives a nod of her head. I watch as she places a finger to her ear and taps on it a few times – the worldwide gesture to listen, which I do instantly.

I close my eyes and begin to pick up on a wider radius of all the sounds around me, including the sounds of two people speaking inside Ozpin's office. One of them is none other than Professor Ozpin, but the other I have not heard before, although it sounds extremely familiar to me. I feel like I have heard it somewhere, but I can't remember.

"Ozpin's talking to someone, Yang. We're going to need to wait." I say, and another nod coming from the short girl. "So, what's your name anyway?" I ask, still looking at the multi hair-colored girl.

Her smile switched to a frown and she shakes her head. She hasn't spoken a word to us, so I am lead under a basic assumption, but it would be rude to ask if my assumption is correct, so I decide to let it be.

"Ummm . . . you don't talk much do you?" Yang asks, and I quickly shove my elbow into her stomach, making her bend over and clench her stomach while dropping to her knees. "Ugh! Damnit Blake!"

"As insensitive as you can be, Yang! I turn around and give her a cold stare, yet surprisingly I feel a touch on my shoulder from the small form and when I look at her she shakes her head. I watch as she walks past me and extends her hand out to Yang to help my girlfriend up. The entire time the small smile of hers plastered over her face.

"Thanks, I guess." Yang whispers while accepting the hand and moving to her feet. For the moment we are all quiet. One of us because they cannot, the other to avoid angering myself, and I am quiet because I am trying to pick up on the voice of the woman talking to Ozpin. I know for a fact I have heard her voice before, but I can't seem to remember exactly where.

"So. How long do you think until Ozpin is done?" Yang asks to the two of us. I look over to the small girl who shrugs her shoulders.

"Ozpin is unpredictable, Yang. Who knows?" I respond, yet shortly after the door opens and a woman wearing a uniform I believe to be from Haven steps out. She has her hair hanging over her right shoulder, and her eyes are a shade of amber to rival my own.

"I thought I told you to wait at our usual spot, Neo." She whispers to the small girl, ignoring the presence of Yang and I for the moment.

The girl known as Neo immediately runs up to the new entrée and makes a clear attempt for a hug that is shot down, yet she keeps smiling nonetheless.

"No hugs. You've been getting rather greedy lately, and because of you Mercury is now making constant jokes and I have threatened to burn him several times for him to stop, with little result. I watch as Neo holds the parasol shaft with her left hand and begins pulling on the handle with her right. What I spot is what appears to be the sharp edges of a blade, but before I can confirm it the amber-eyed woman stops Neo by grabbing her wrist.

"No, Neo. As sweet a gesture as that is, there is no need. Now stop being a greedy girl and let's get going . . . I told you I didn't want you here, yet you disobeyed me again." Her tone is harsh, and Neo looks up with a focused stare, and a sigh comes from the taller Haven student.

"I don't care if you wanted to be with me. I told you what to do and I expect you to obey." She says again while rolling her eyes.

"You don't need to be such a jerk to her." Yang raises her voice after being an onlooker to the one-sided conversation.

"Excuse me? I do not believe I was addressing you, Yang Xiao Long was it?" She squints and analyzes Yang carefully.

"How do you even know me?" Yang asks. Out the corner of my eye I see one of her fists clenching up, and I prepare myself to stop her should she lose her temper . . . again.

"You're a bit of a celebrity I hear. Mainly in The Pit, but that aside I saw you in the dance with your new girlfriend . . . I feel sorry for the monkey Faunus and the sea-haired boy . . . shame, for them at least." She smiles, flashing the same smile towards me, but it feels more like a menacing grin than anything else.

"You still shouldn't be addressing your girlfriend like that. She clearly missed you"

Yang's words make Neo go wide-eyed and blush, but the girl she is talking to remains unphased.

"She is not my girlfriend, and she will never be my girlfriend. She is a friend. Nothing more. Nothing less. Now, if you'll excuse me." She begins to walk by us, but as she passes she grins again and whispers to me without taking a glance or breaking stride. "Blake Belladonna was it?"

My eyes widen at those exact words. It reminds me of the mysterious voice that answered Weiss' phone over a week ago and started off with those same words.

_She's the girl that patched up Weiss . . . What does she need to talk to Ozpin for?_

I shake my head from my thoughts and decide to walk into the office with Yang in tow. Ozpin doesn't appear to be too surprised to see us, but is currently on a phone call that he makes quick work of.

"You two don't need to be here. Go." He says bluntly to us, and that exact choice of words makes Yang heat up in anger and annoyance.

"All we want is to see Weiss, Professor! There is nothing wrong with that is there?" She shouts and questions. I extend my arm as Yang tries to walk by me, stopping her from advancing.

"We are worried about Weiss' condition. We would appreciate just being able to go in, no matter how long it is and just be able to confirm with our own eyes that she is well. I think that's fairly understandable for teammates." I debate, but he only shakes his head at me.

"That call I just received was from Miss Rose. It appears Miss Schnee is already awake. So, as I said, you do not need to be here. Go see your teammate. I will call ahead to make sure you two are allowed through." Ozpin motions us to leave with his left hand while he dials with his right hand.

"S-She's awake?" Yang stammers and quickly grabs my hand. I feel as if my arm is going to be pulled out of the socket when I am turned around to follow the already building speed of my blonde brawler.

_Well, that's one issue resolved at least._

I smile to myself, pulling my arm from Yang's grip and before she has a chance to respond I dart in front of her, giving her a smirk from over my shoulder. "See you there, Blondie!"

I look ahead of me, using my semblance to form a clone of myself that makes Yang slow down to dodge, thinking it is me, and her disapproval of it all is heard with rather colorful language.

It's about time Sleeping Beauty wakes herself up.


	41. A Weiss Christmas

_**POV: WEISS SCHNEE**_

_**Chapter 41 – A Weiss Christmas**_

It has been a very dramatic semester thus far at Beacon. Our team split into two relationships among partners, and on top of that, there was the odd power spike I received well over a month ago that gave me the ability to rival Yang. Upon waking up I was startled by the sight of my precious Dolt sleeping in a chair with her head on my lap, and squirming about in what appeared to be a hellish nightmare. While I quickly shook her awake, it reminded me of the time she took a punch from Yang for me. Although this time the roles were very much reversed.

Since then Ruby has been stuck to me like 'White on Weiss' as Yang has taken to putting it, and for once it is a pun that I can accept since it is very accurate to say the least, and as much as Yang and I butt heads, I will not go as far as to stop wearing white to prove her pun wrong. It is currently two days before the holiday Christmas, and Ruby has been calling me non-stop to the point that I began ignoring her calls and disabling my scroll from receiving any form of signal.

Ruby left two days ago to go back to her home in Patch, along with Yang and Blake for the holidays. The three of them showed no regard for their education since they all left two days earlier than Beacon's holiday break schedule. Me being the responsible student that I am, I took it upon myself to be the one to stay and attend the last two days of classes. Unfortunately many people held the same ideas as my three team members since most of my classes were empty aside from the students that stay within the dormitories over the holiday vacation. Among the list are Jaune Arc, and the rabbit Faunus, Velvet.

I wish those three would take a larger responsibility when it came to their education but I suppose I should cut Yang some slack because she did not fail a single class this semester. Blake is fortunate with high grades that can rival mine, making it so two absences will not hurt her standings in the slightest, and Ruby has improved greatly since last semester. I never knew she was this adaptable, abandoning her old study habits and instead choosing to study with me through my effective, yet repetitious study routine.

I begin feeling bad for disconnecting my scroll, and make the choice to turn it back on. The first thing appearing on my screen is an incoming call. I roll my eyes and select to answer it. Ruby's adorable angry face appears on screen, but I choose to leave my camera off for the moment.

"Weiss Schnee! Did you disconnect your phone on meee!? . . . Hey, that rhymed!"

"Yes. Yes I did, and if you continue to be such a call happy pest, then I will not hesitate to do so again. Does that seem like a fair deal?" I roll my eyes as she puts on her Puppy face. It's a trick that has worked on me one too many times, so my counter over a scroll is to just turn the scroll around so I do not need to look at it. "I don't need to look at your puppy face, Ruby. Right now you are showing all of Vale your puppy face."

"Wait, What?" She asks with confusion.

"Nothing. You'll see soon enough." I answer before a voice over an intercom interrupts,

"Miss Schnee, we are approaching your designated drop zone. Opening the side door for you now, and we'll have someone come by with a parachute for you, and your belongings. Excuse the turbulence while we enter a hover."

"Only for my belongings. Beacon has taught me a few things when it comes to Landing Strategies." I shout back to the voice.

"Very well, Miss Schnee. Then don't let us hold you back. You're free to go."

"W-Weiss, who is that? Where are you? Are you alone with them? Weiss!" Ruby shouts as I refuse to answer, and instead I hang up on her, disconnecting my phone once more and place it into my pocket.

"Dolt, you are so protective. You know I've been training my ass off with you." I shake my head as a gust enters one of the Schnee Dust Company airships I am currently in. I look towards where the wind is blowing from and see it is the recently opened door for me to exit from.

I walk over and sit in the doorway with my legs hanging out in the air with a one kilometer drop straight below me. To my left I can see the back of the airship, and the city of Vale off in the distance with low visibility. Between Vale and my current location is a body of water that cuts it off from the town I am currently hovering over. It appears to be a very self-sufficient area since I do not spot any massive amount of importing going on. Or perhaps their imports come in just like I do.

Regardless of that, I suppose it is now my time to leave. I slide myself off of the airship and begin to drop straight down. The wind in my face is exhilarating, and the feeling of my French braid flying behind me brings a slight smile to my lips. I become lost in this moment of freedom from the world, and almost forget that I am freefalling to what would be a certain death if I do not begin my landing strategy.

_Do your thing, Weiss._

I close my eyes and begin focusing my aura, forming a glyph far below me. At this speed I will break my legs if I hit my glyph, but thanks to a little practice I made a slight discovery; I can make my glyphs intangible.

I smile as I successfully go right through the first glyph, with my speed reducing dramatically. Although, it picks up again instantly during my freefall.

_Alright, now let's come to a stop . . . looks like I have about 400 meters left._

I smile and focus my aura once more, making a steady path of glyphs directly below me; all of them equal distance apart. I feel myself slowing down to a normal pace as I constantly pass through each glyph. When I am 50 meters above the ground I make my next glyph solid. When I land on it I take a seat and look at the two story house (excluding the slight extra height which could be for the attic) directly below me. It appears to be very well kept. It has a front and back patio, with a few windows decorating the exterior. The house itself has a triangulated roof with a single chimney that is made with red brick. The house is coated with professionally placed paneling that are a cream-ish color. The tiles of the roof are a red color to rival that of the chimney.

All in all it is a very average house, but I could care less about what the house looks like. I make my glyph disappear, but maintain my sitting position as one more only a meter below the first catches me. I do so again, but switch to a standing position, and the next glyph I land on is actually 10 meters below. I continue this until I come to a silent landing and make my way to the front door. The front patio holds up its awning with white, wooden pillars while the floor of the patio itself is actually cement. Nothing too classy, but I suppose it is easier to clean when there is a mess. Directly ahead of me is a white door that is predominantly glass, with the framing existing around it to hold it in place. The glass has a rather intricate design on the front. It takes me a moment to realize that it is actually Yang and Ruby's symbols overlapping each other to become one unique work of art.

I am standing in front of the home of Ruby Rose, and Yang Xiao Long. Needless to say, I am very nervous, and finally my nerves catch up to me while I stand in front of the door.

_It's fine. If both of them take after their dad in any way, then at least he should be very social, correct? Ugh, who am I kidding, they both look nothing like each other, clearly one or both of them takes after their mother. I shouldn't have come._

"Hold on you two, I gotta fetch something from town!" I hear the familiar voice of the blonde brawler inside.

"Bring me some milk while you're at it." The relaxed voice of Blake whispers through the door, barely audible to me.

"Oh, oh, oh! Get me some cookies and strawberries!" And there is the voice of my precious Dolt.

"Would you like ice cream too? You've been moping ever since Ice Queen hung up on you." I can feel my heart drop at Yang's words.

_I should just turn around and leave right now. Weiss, you are just the biggest idiot there is! Ugh, but I want to stay here. Ruby and Yang both made it clear to me that there is an extra room that can be used, but what happens if that offer is no longer available since I turned them down far more than a few times? I want to spend some of my vacation here!_

I feel a small flow of aura wash over me and calm my nerves. Since I woke up from my battle with Yang, there has been an absence of the voice in my head. Although whenever I get those feelings of sorrow and determination, I can feel a strange warmth. A reassuring warmth that fills me and allow me to feel much more tranquil. My manifestation is gone, but the desire for her? It? Me? Is not gone, and makes its presence known when needed.

_Alright, Weiss. All you need to do is knock, right?_

I raise my hand, balling it into a fist to strike one of the edges of the door so I do not risk damaging the glass, but before I do the door opens up and Yang is standing there staring at me for a moment. She looks at me, then over her shoulder, and back at me with a smile on her lips.

"Well played, Weiss. Here I thought you went back to being Weiss Cold."

_Ugh! The puns!_

I feel a large blush coat my cheeks, and I break sight with Yang. I still feel very nervous.

"Our dad's not home right now. He took off with Uncle Qrow for some odd jobs. Just go inside and say hey to Ruby and Blake. Just prepare one of those fancy glyphs you used in our fight . . . otherwise Ruby will break your ribs when she tackles you." Yang smirks, placing a heavy hand on my shoulder while she shimmies by me and leaves towards wherever. I have never been to Patch, so I am pretty much a lost tourist, for now at least.

"Why is there still a breeze? Damn Yang for leaving the door open." I look into the house and see Blake turning the corner and going wide-eyed at seeing me. She offers me a smile and nods her head.

"Alright, come on." She whispers as she approaches and grabs me by the arm, tugging me inside and shutting the door behind me. "Damnit you're cold! What the hell, Weiss?"

"Well umm . . . I guess a one kilometer freefall will do that to you?" I ask, more than state.

"You are such a tsundere, I swear." Blake whispers with a smile across her face. She shakes her head and turns around, walking straight ahead of her until a doorway to her right is available for her to disappear behind.

"Ruby, someone is at the door for you. It's Weiss."

"Not you too, Blake! Why can't you and Yang just leave me alone! At least you two are here together. It's not fair!" I hear Ruby pout

"Just go answer the door, Little Red, sheesh." Blake says with annoyance in her voice.

"No, I don't wanna" I hear Ruby groan before making muffled cries.

"Oh, now you bury your face into the sofa. Very classy, Ruby Rose. Weiss, when you finally get the ability to walk, care to come in?"

"Ugh~! Stop it Blake!" Ruby says before her voice becomes muffled again.

I take a deep breath, finding the courage to step forward and turn right into the doorway. Straight ahead of me is a large flat screen television mounted to the wall. To my right, in the near corner of the room is Blake sitting back in a black, leather recliner. In the far corner of the room to my right is a tall, glass cabinet with many pictures of Ruby, Yang, and the two of them with a tall man with eyes that match Yang's. He is very well shaven, with short, blonde hair, and appears to always dress casual, regardless of what anybody else in the picture is wearing. I assume that to be their father.

There are countless more pictures there with several different people, but I am not so interested to look at them anymore at this moment. Instead I look to the left, and against the near wall is a large, 3-cushion, black leather sofa. Hanging over the nearest armrest is Ruby's bare feet, and along the far end her head is buried into a cushion as she mopes. I step towards her, deciding to give her foot a poke.

"Leave me alone, Blake!" She shouts and kicks at my hand, "And your hand is freezing cold! Did you touch ice?"

"No, I touched Weiss, actually." Blake shouts from across the room.

_Ruby, you are such a helpless Dolt._

"Wait, how did you poke me from all the way over there?" Ruby lifts her head, rolling over onto her back. She's expecting to have a clear view of Blake, but instead I am standing there, obstructing her view.

"W-Weiss? H-How did you even get here?"

"One kilometer drop from a company airship . . . you have your address written on our registration papers. Since I am your partner I have full access to them."

I smile, and as I reach forward to give Ruby a hug she wraps her legs around my waist and pulls me on top of her. Not a moment sooner than I am on top of Ruby does she plaster me in kisses. I squirm around in her grip, trying to get myself free, but eventually she finds her mark as she usually does. The second her lips connect to mine my struggling stops and I melt into her arms. I can feel the shivers within her body, but considering my body is much colder than normal, I am surprised she is even able to bare having me against her.

"It's good seeing you two back in each other's arms." Blake says from across the room.

Logically, neither one of us respond. Ruby refuses to pull her lips from mine, and keeps making attempts to slide her tongue into my lips that I fight off to the best of my ability. She makes audible "Hmph!'s" of disapproval each time I fight off the attempts. Eventually she changes up her tactics and reaches around me and place a hand on my rear.

The moment I gasp out in surprise she sends her tongue between my lips and deepens our kiss. Ruby now has me in her 'love lock' as she likes to call it. I can feel her heartbeat and mine begin to synchronize, and my movements begin adapting to hers. When she leans in further, so do I. When she pulls her lips back slightly, I do the same. It becomes a game between us. A game of copycat that could go on forever.

A shiver erupts up my spine when Ruby's hand remains lingering on my rear with no signs of moving away despite her already having what she wanted. Instead I feel her other hand reach around and grasp the other cheek, but only for a second before she gives it a soft tap and brings both of her hands underneath herself to push me up by the shoulders and break our kiss.

"Don't you ever hang up on me again, kay?" she asks with that cheery smile on her lips. Her silver eyes softens to look at me with her caring gaze.

"Well, I had to jump out the airship. Not like I can do that while I'm talking to you." I counter, returning her smile.

"As sweet as you two are . . . I guess I should say that Ruby is wearing black with red-lined panties. Weiss is wearing ice-blue with white-lined panties . . . Serves you two right for wearing your 'combat skirts'." Blake interrupts, making me roll off of Ruby and onto the floor, reaching for my skirt to pull it down to make sure it is covering everything. Ruby stays on the couch and do the same with her skirt.

"Really Blake!? You couldn't let it slide a few more minutes?" Ruby pouts, and at the same time the door opens and Yang enters with several bags in her arms.

"Actually, I waited until the last possible moment. Welcome back, Yang." Blake smiles as Yang walks past the doorway and continues going straight ahead to where the kitchen is.

"H-How long were we like that?" I ask to Blake, my cheeks starting to redden.

"About forty-five minutes. I watched two episodes of Claymore on my scroll while you two were busy." Blake answers with a shrug while Ruby groans and pouts for some reason.

"Ummm, Claymore?" I ask.

"It's this awesome anime. These girls have silver eyes just like me and they are just so fast and badass, but they are half monster, yet they kill the monsters they're made up from, and it's just sword swinging, bloody epicness!" Ruby shouts while she carefully slides her feet to the floor and stands up. She steps around me and holds out her hand to help me up.

"Only you two, I swear." I smile, grasping Ruby's hand to stand up.

"Let's go to the kitchen and help out Yang." Ruby says to me, and I nod my head, beginning to follow.

However, she pauses as we reach the doorway that links the living room to the hallway and grins at me as if she just achieved some master plan.

"I got you, Weiss." Ruby says with a smirk, and I let out a confused grunt.

"What the hell are you talking about, Dolt?" I look at her, thinking she has been eating far too many cookies.

"Look up." She says simply, and when I do I see a mistletoe hanging in the doorway, and in the same moment I facepalm myself.

"Dolt, you already got your kiss. Nice try." I begin to pass her but she taps me on the shoulder, yet when I turn to look she is gone.

"What the? Ruby?" I ask, but seconds later I feel a touch on my right shoulder. I turn to my other side, yet all I see are rose petals falling to the ground.

_Why is she using her semblance on me?_

Again there is a poke, and I turn to the doorway, angered to yet again not see her there.

"Ruby Rose! I am going to go help your sister! Now stop it!" I growl, but when I turn my head to head towards the kitchen, her lips are waiting for me and clash with mine. Once again I am caught by her, but my anger surpasses anything. I gently reach my arms up around her neck, but just before I can tighten my grip on her and give her a lesson to remember, she disappears in a gust of wind to some other area of the house.

"Ruby Rose, when I get my hands on you!" I scream out, but my shouting is drowned out by the combined laughs of Blake from the living room, and Yang from the kitchen.

I take a deep breath and walk over to the kitchen, kneeling down to help pull out the several groceries Yang bought. We begin taking out everything, from packs of Monster Energy, to a gallon of milk, even a pack of cookies and a container of strawberries. There is however, one thing that I do not recall being asked for by anyone that I see in one of the bags.

"Why did you buy this Yang?" I ask as I look into the blonde's lilac eyes.

"Oh, that? I thought it was something you and Ruby would like." Yang looks at me with a smirk.

"Are you going to use these as an excuse to punch me later?"

"Nope. I took the strawberry ones you never used. So I'll be sharing them with Blake later. So, those are yours as payment."

I smile, starting to blush a little as I take the small box and put it in my pocket for later, although I'm a bit nervous about meeting Ruby and Yang's father.

Hopefully all goes right.


	42. A Bird's Eye View

_**POV: ? ? ?**_

_**Chapter 42 – Bird's Eye View**_

It's been an exhausting day, or rather an exhausting two days to say the least. I though the holiday season meant less work, but that is a myth that was broken within my mind during the hell I have gone through.

It's been two days since I've been able to see the rest of my family, but I suppose it's worth it to get a few more dollars in my pocket before the holiday season. Especially for the gift I want to send out. It's such a pain shopping, but I guess it is worth it to when I see the smiles I can put on a few faces.

"Hey, pull over here a moment." I say, seeing a nearby store I'd like to go into to search for a quick gift.

"Now of all times? I need to be back out to work again. At least you're getting a break. I don't have time to spare right now." I look next to meet to the driver, shrugging my shoulders before sitting back and smiling. It's just about to strike midnight, probably seconds away. The empty urban streets are about to come to an end and change to suburbs to mark the way to the outskirts of town.

"Alright, I suppose you've got a point. Keep going." I chuckle and reach to the side of the seat to find a small lever. When I get my fingers curled underneath it, I pull it up and let my seat fall back, completing my recliner-like posture by placing my hands on the back of my head, sandwiching them between my head and the headrest of the car seat.

"Always the relaxed one aren't you?" I hear a sarcastic voice attack me.

"What's the use in not being relaxed for now? If I were driving you'd be snoring up a storm, and you know it." I smirk.

"I suppose you're right." I am answered with a slight snicker.

"Suppose? Don't insult my knowledge of you like that. Admit it. You'd be snoring loud enough to make people think the car engine is going bad when I drive by." I smirk again, closing my eyes to enjoy the lull of the car.

"You're extra witty today, aren't you? Who put you in a good mood?"

"Nobody. Just prefer staying in a good mood is all. Don't need to go to Signal for a week, so that's a big plus."

"Oh, please. You love it there."

"Perhaps, but the company isn't the greatest, and by that I mean my colleagues." I counter before reaching for the dial on the radio and turning up the music, upon hearing one of my favorite songs coming on.

"Because you know, I'm all about that bass, 'bout that bass, no treble!"

"Damnit! Not this shit again." I watch as he reaches for the dial, and dart for his wrist.

"You change that dial and I will cut your wrist off!" I yell before going back to my singing.

"Yeah, It's pretty clear. I ain't no size two.

But I can shake it, shake it.

Like I'm supposed to do." I begin laughing when I hear another voice cut me off and join in.

" 'Cause I got that boom boom that all the boys chase!

And all the right junk, in all the right pla-ces"

I clench my stomach, laughing at the thought of two grown men singing to a popular pop song while driving a brand new Mercedes. Quite the sight for some, while others would quickly recommend a doctor, although I don't think on it too much. It's my turn to sing after all!

"I see the magazine's~ Workin' that photoshop!

We know that shit ain't real. C'mon now, make it stop!"

The two of us continue singing back and forth, alternating in repeating the final lines of the chorus until the song ends and we both let out a couple of healthy laughs. Before I realize it we are in front of the house and I reach into the back seat for my backpack, hauling it over to place on my lap.

"Alright, here we are. Tell 'em I'm sorry I couldn't stick around, but duty calls. I hope they aren't too upset about it." He sighs while sliding the car into park.

"Gah, you worry too much. They have your attitude. Carefree as can be, and pretty forgiving, most of the time, anyway." I smile, opening the door before stepping out.

"I suppose you're right. See you all tomorrow, hopefully." He waves to me.

"Alright. Good luck, Tai." I whisper while I close the door.

When I turn around and begin walking up the short path to the house, I can hear the roar of the engine of his car, well, our car, we decided to split on its payment. I step up to the front steps, my bag hauled over my shoulder in my left hand while I reach into the back pocket of my jeans with my right hand to find the single key I keep to the house.

_Y'know what, let me check first . . . Locking the door is not always a first memory._

After I take out the key I turn the doorknob slowly, not being surprised that it opens up, and instead I let out a soft sigh.

"Damnit . . . well . . . I guess they were expecting both of us. Oh well." I step inside and close the door behind me, turning the handle while I close it to avoid it making a loud noise from the door closing. As I walk into the house I can hear several footsteps upstairs, yet I can feel the presence of more than two people in the house. I reach over my shoulder and open my backpack, leaving it like that just in case, but still carrying it over my shoulder.

I walk forward a few steps and turn right to go into the living room. When I enter the area and turn left I see a slim girl, appearing to be a teenager to just be sitting around on the sofa, although the moment I step in I am met with a piercing, crystal-eyed stare.

She has snow white hair that is tied into what appears to be a French braid, although in the dim lighting from the television only, it is hard to tell. Her outfit reminds me of an outfit I've seen before, although her outfit is white and a light blue, while the one I recall is a mix of black and red, with black being the dominant color.

_Who is she? Wonder what she's doing here, Guess I shou- WOAH!"_

My eyes widen as I see her disappear in a blinding flash. At the same moment I let go of my backpack, and as it falls I slam my right hand into it and pull out what appears to be a simple, foot long staff.

I do not get a second to breathe. I feel a chill erupt up my spine and quickly lift the staff to the back of my head, both hearing and feeling the sound of colliding metal before the presence disappears again.

_Why can't there ever be a peaceful night for me? Am I that bad?_

I sigh, closing my eyes while I exert my aura into the staff. The moment I do so it expands to a mere 6 feet, but undergoes a few custom changes of my own accord. Along the top of the staff it begins to arc in a smooth design, changing itself into a scythe, while at the bottom it makes a tight curl into something resembling more of a fishing hook.

"Little girl, I would greatly appreci-"

I don't even get to finish my thought before I sense her presence again, still behind me. I twirl my extremely lightweight scythe with my fingers, catching the tip of her blade in the tight curl at the bottom of the shaft of my weapon, and with the same twirling motion I am able to pull the weapon - that I am now able to recognize as a Multi-Action Dust Rapier - from the girl's hand and send it across the room. With my weapon still twirling I take a firm grip on it to stop its spinning motion and hold the curved blade to her neck, squinting at her from over my shoulder.

"That weapon is Myrtenaster, isn't it?" I ask without shifting my gaze or weapon. Her response is a slow nod, and I take a deep breath with that knowledge. "And where did you get it?"

"It is mine." She states with plenty of hostility in her voice, although I am holding a blade to her neck, so it is pretty understandable.

"And that would make you Weiss Schnee, wouldn't it?" I sharpen my stare.

"It would, and kidnapping the Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company is not a very wise decision.

"No it isn't. It's a very Weiss decision I would say." I grin at my own wordplay.

"Ugh, I swear that's something Yang would say." She rolls her eyes, but still keeps her gaze at my hands and the blade.

"My niece always did value my sense of humor." I respond, slowly lowering my blade as a look of realization crosses her face. "It's a pleasure to finally meet my other niece's partner in the flesh. You may call me Qrow." I relax, absorbing my aura back from the staff and causing it to retract back into its dull form.

"I . . . I'm so sorry. I thought you were a robber and I . . . T-this is so embarrassing!" She places her hands over her mouth, standing there in utter shock.

"It's not a problem at all. If anything, thank you for protecting my brother-in-law's home and family." I reassure while I walk across the room to pick up the rapier. It has been years since I last laid eyes on it. I walk back and hold out the weapon to the well-known heiress, waiting patiently until she takes it and holsters it on her left hip.

"I-I am really sorry, Sir! I just . . ." I close my eyes, taking a slow breath. I can sense a very swift and low amplitude change in her aura. She's clearly nervous, although I cannot exactly pinpoint why. It is a simple mistake that many would not think too hard on, especially a Schnee. If she takes anything after her father, then she could be just as cold and unwavering as the man himself.

"It's not a problem. Hey Ruby." I whisper, looking at the doorway just before my niece comes around and into view. As usual she has a cookie hanging in her mouth, held in place by her teeth, though I am surprised to see that her usual red tips are instead dyed white. I guess she is in that experimental phase where she wants to branch out and express herself. Hopefully it isn't as bad as Yang.

I chuckle as she chomps down the cookie and runs over to me, and wraps her arms around my waist. I stand at 6'4, making me slightly tower over my niece, and her friend she has told me about many times over the phone.

"You know, Ruby. Next time you tell me your partner's name. Perhaps including a last name would have assisted as well, and also telling her that your Uncle likes to come in unannounced? I rather not walk into my brother's home and nearly get the back of my head, or my right kidney poked out." I smile, but it seems the visiting Schnee is not too happy with herself after the minor scuffle

"Oh, please! You probably saw it coming a mile away. When was the last time an attack ever connected to you? Don't get her all worried. Oh, and Merry Christmas Eve!" I watch as Ruby turns her head and runs over to the snow-haired girl.

_Thanks for reminding me. It's 12:30 in the morning, but it is Christmas Eve . . . I need to find a gift for you two tomorrow._

"Uncle Qrow, this is Weiss, my partner and-" I raise an eyebrow when a firm elbow is delivered to my nieces' side.

_Hm . . ._

I close my eyes, taking a soft breath. I sense the two of their auras, amazed at the amount I am able to pick up in Weiss Schnee, and my niece has also improved a vast amount. Upstairs, within Yang's room I can sense an aura level that is uncontrollable; that of course is my other niece, yet the other is very tame, and hard to detect even. The ability to suppress a presence is not easy, let along doing so subconsciously, IF it is being done subconsciously that is.

_I'll worry about that later, for now . . ._

I shorten the range of my detection and focus more on Ruby and Weiss. Again, I feel an uneasiness from the heiress, yet a form of anxiousness from my niece. Apparently there is something Ruby wishes to tell me, but the other is reluctant to let that bit of information go. I suppose she finds me judgmental, but I am the furthest from it, at least I hope I am. I am not one to boast about myself, despite how amazing I surely am. I let my nieces do that for me.

"Well, if you aren't allowed to tell me, Ruby. I am sure Miss Schnee would be happier to say, would she not?" I open my eyes, looking at the snow-haired girl who turns her crystal blue eyes away from me.

"I . . . rather not . . . at this moment." She speaks while carefully picking out her words.

_Not sure if she is worried about making a good first impression. Guess she doesn't know about the people I have had the unfortunate luck of meeting thanks to Yang's 'experimental' phase._

"I see, well then I guess Ruby can say it." I smile, eager to continue prodding out for the information. I'm a relaxed man, but I grow anxious when there is a mystery in the air. It's nothing unhealthy, but I have the curiosity of a child at times I suppose.

"Oh! Weiss and I are!"

"Shut it, you Dolt!"

"But I already . . ."

I begin to laugh at the brief exchange. I carefully walk past the two of them and sit myself on the couch, shaking my head with a smile plastered over my lips.

"To think someone is able to keep my fireball of a niece in check is a miracle of itself. Miss Schnee-"

"W-Weiss is fine, please." She whispers, still unable to meet my gaze.

"Okay . . . Weiss. Believe me when I say there is nothing you need to keep hidden from me. If anything I can find out from Yang since I plan on finding out who is currently in her room with her at this moment." I watch as both of their eyes go wide, but Ruby's are the first to soften.

"I keep forgetting you can do that!" She shouts with that adorable charm to her voice.

"He can do what?" Weiss asks.

"Oh, Uncle Qrow used to be a Huntsman. He excelled at tracking and sensing aura. There isn't a person alive that can sneak up on him!" My niece states proudly. Like I said, I let them do all the boasting for me. It lets me seem at least a little modest.

"Umm . . . Ruby, I think it may be best if you go get Yang so she may come down and say hello to her Uncle."

"Awww, but I wanted to-"

"Ruby!"

"Fine!" Ruby answers, walking off while muttering under her breath while she makes her way up the creaky, wooden steps across the hall from the living room doorway.

"Anyway, now that my niece is away, would you kindly tell me what it is that has you this nervous?" I ask, leaning back against the sofa with my arms resting on the top of the soft leather.

"Excuse me?" She asks, trying to play off the earlier display, but I can still sense her aura 'shivering' for a lack of better words.

"I can read your aura levels and find if you are uneasy, as well as several other emotions, but I'd rather not begin telling you your own life story." I smile, standing up and disappearing to the kitchen a moment. I come back with a tall glass of water, and see that Weiss is still standing in the same place, but with a stern look on her face that can rival her father's stare.

"M-Mister Qrow . . . R-Ruby and I are."

"The two of you are madly in love, and are going out. Also explains the white tips." I state flatly, much to the discomfort of my niece's partner.

"D-Did you know this entire time?" She asks with her head lowered, hiding her eyes behind her bangs.

"Actually, yes. She told me over the phone about 3 weeks ago or so. Said she couldn't wait for you to meet myself and her father, Tai. I just figured it may be easier to say it to me, since I believe I am much more relaxed than my brother. Don't get me wrong, he's just as relaxed, but he is a bit protective of his little girls." I shrug my shoulders, taking a sip of my water once again, "Then again, he usually just doesn't trust the _guys_ that Yang used to bring home. Not sure, but maybe he'd feel more comfortable knowing his daughter is in the arms of an heiress."

"I-I hope so." She says, looking at the floor and kicking at it. "I'm serious about her, even though she is a cookie-addicted, jealous, lazy, hyperactive, and childish Dolt. It also makes her who she is."

_Hey, cookies are very addicting, have you ever tried Summer's cookies? You'd be addicted too!_

"Well, I am proud to give you the Qrow Seal of Approval. Now, I just have one more question for you." I smile to myself, glad to feel a more relaxed state from Weiss.

_There we go. Sheesh, women are so uneasy around me. I guess I do have amazing good looks._

"Y-yes, Sir?"

"Yuck, so quaint. Just call me Qrow." I tell her, shivering at the thought of someone addressing me as Sir. "Or even just call me Mister, I just hate that word 'Sir'. Anyway. Who is the guy my daughter brought home this time?"

"A-actually . . . it's a girl, and well-"

"Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!" I turn to the doorway, hearing rapid stomps down the steps and see my niece dashing through the doorway to bury her face into Weiss' shoulder, who in turn wraps her arms around my niece.

"Sorry, Ruby . . . I didn't think that one through." Weiss sighs, rubbing the back of my niece's head and making me chuckle.

"I see, my daughter has yet again found a girl . . . I wonder how long this one will last. I give it a week, and if it goes past, then well . . . I'll ask out that Glynda lady at Beacon next time I visit." I chuckle. Yang has never been one to stick to one person. I suppose she gets that from both of her parents. Her father is confident in his looks, just like I am, on top of being very laid back. Her mother . . . wherever she is, was always a heartbreaker, flaunting off everything she had, and making people gawk at what they would never have a chance at.

"Um . . ." Weiss whispers before exchanging stares with my niece, and before I know it the two are on the floor, laughing their asses off.

"Huh? What's so funny?"

I don't seem to get an answer, but eventually Yang walks through the doorway in her black basketball shorts and golden tank top. Just like me she looks at the spectacle, then at me, back at the duo on the floor, and finally back at me.

"So, they laugh at your jokes but not mine? Not cool." Yang says while she hops into the couch and wraps her arms around my neck, giving me one of her bear hugs that barely makes me flinch.

"Still not sure if you're trying to break my neck with these hugs of yours." I chuckle, wrapping one arm around her back for the duration of the hug.

"Psh, of course not. I'm just trying to tweak it a little." She grins as she lets go.

"Nope, you're trying to kill your poor Uncle Qrow . . . a defenseless old man with little left in the tank." I fake a few sniffles

"Oh, please. You're a huntsman, and an untouchable huntsman at that." And yet again, my niece has done the boasting for me, well, a different niece this time.

"Only on the battlefield. Anyway, I told those two if you and the most recent gal of yours last over a week, I will ask out that Glynda gal at your school."

Yang looks at me dumbfounded, and seconds later she is rolling on the floor with the other two.

_What the hell is so funny about that!? They think I won't ask her? Well, I won't need to ask her, but I swear, this is one weird reaction. Or maybe Glynda is really a man? Fuck . . ."_

"Um, are you Yang's father?"

I turn my head towards the doorway, amazed that I didn't hear or feel the presence approaching at all. I am surprised to see a bow-wearing girl in a black yukata, something I also have not seen in a while. She has a firm, almost piercing amber gaze, yet her words are spoken with the complete opposite intention.

"No, actually I am her Uncle . . . and for some reason I suppose I am also on my best comedy skit tonight." I gesture to the three girls that are dying from laughter on the floor.

"Well, I guess that means your sense of humor is better than Yang's . . . that's a good thing." She passes me a smile before sitting on the arm of the couch, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Blake Belladonna. I'm a student at Beacon, and the fourth member of Team RWBY. I am partners with Yang, and I have been going out with her for over a month now."

My jaw drops at her words. I carefully bring my hand up to my forehead and smash my forehead into my open palm. Not the first time I jump ahead of myself, and certainly it will not be the last.

"So, if I may ask . . . what is so funny?" She whispers, or rather, I guess that is her normal tone; hard to tell.

". . . First, off, pleasure to meet you Blake. Please, just call me Qrow, or Mister Qrow, or just Mister . . . one of my jobs is teaching at Signal, so all of those names are familiar to me. I despise being addressed as 'Sir' for personal reasons and well . . ."

I take a deep breath, slouching in the couch to face the ceiling.

"And apparently I'm asking out Glynda Goodwitch."


	43. A Cat's Followup

_**POV: BLAKE BELLADONNA**_

_**Chapter 43 – A Cat's Followup**_

I hum softly to myself as I look through the kitchen fridge. Along the bottom shelf is a nearly empty gallon of milk that I purchased yesterday after going to the nearest store in the small town about a mile away. I take out the gallon and pour the rest of its contents into an average sized cup, carrying it back to the living room with me. I just finished watching an episode of Claymore, and plan on watching a second episode while the two lovebirds continue their infinite liplock on the couch.

_Sheesh, those two are able to stay so still in a kiss . . . Yang and I always start to move around a bit . . . hate to admit it, but her and I are restless._

I grab my scroll from the seat of the recliner, sitting myself on the chair and pulling my bare feet onto the large seat as well to lay my scroll on my lap, making it much easier for me to watch my anime on my scroll. I look over to my left, raising an eyebrow as I see Ruby taking a possessive hold of Weiss' ass.

_Hm . . . Yang does the exact same thing, except she usually-_

I blink, hearing and seeing the slap to follow. I turn my head to my right, away from the two of them, and towards the window as I fight to hold in my laughter. Ruby is just like Yang in all the wrong ways. Or right ways if you are Weiss. Those two look nothing like each other, but I guess they have their own habits that are a lot alike.

I shake my head, a smile across my lips as I go back to watching Claymore. It becomes another obvious episode. I have not gotten too far into the anime, but I already can tell that Raki will become the annoying little brother-type to Clare, as well as possibly grow to have some sort of affections for her that will not be returned, although I have been wrong before. I admire the swordsmanship of Clare and the way she handles the large weapon, reminding me of a student I saw at Beacon one day who wore a blade of the same caliber on his back, yet accompanied it by two katanas on each hip. I never knew someone to need three separate weapons, although I have heard of a sword style that utilizes three blades, yet with one of his weapons being a claymore, I doubt he has any knowledge of the style.

The episode itself is full of head shakes, more head shakes, followed by Raki being a dumbass and Clare needing to bail him out after he is captured by a Yoma – the name for the demon/monster things in the Claymore world.

"Raki, either you will become an eternal burden . . . or you will finally become useful. If I had my choice I would rather you just die and stop holding Clare back." I huff, turning my head to check on Ruby and Weiss, not surprised to see that they are still in the same place, but there is a slight difference I plan on taking advantage of.

Since my anime is finished I shift my scroll to the camera and take a silent picture of the two, or rather the blue and white panties of Weiss, and the red and black panties of Ruby in the form of an upskirt.

_This will earn me a favor at some point during the winter break._

I grin and place my scroll back on my lap. I turn my head to look out the window, just in time to see Yang coming up the walkway towards the house.

_Ouch. Sorry you two, guess your romancing is over for now._

I look back at the romancing duo, hearing whispers going on between the two, and find a quick moment to cut in.

"As sweet as you two are. I guess I should say that Ruby is wearing black with red-lined panties. Weiss is wearing ice-blue with white-lined panties . . . Serves you two right for wearing your 'combat skirts'." I say in my bluntest tone.

The amusing result is Weiss rolling off of Ruby in a panic and pulling down her skirt with Ruby doing the same, but staying on the sofa. After their recovery, Ruby sits up with her legs still draped over the arm of the sofa, but her skirt is in a much more conservative position. She has her cheeks puffed out, and a look of disapproval on her face while Weiss is staring down at the floor in clear embarrassment.

"Really Blake!? You couldn't let it slide a few more minutes?" She scolds me, but when the door opens and Yang enters, a look of apology and realization appears on Ruby's face, as well as Weiss who passes me a surprised look.

"Actually, I waited until the last possible moment. Welcome back, Yang." I smile at Yang as she passes by the doorway, and once she is far enough that the wall obstructs Ruby and Weiss' view of her, she takes the moment to wink at me and blow a kiss.

_You insufferable tease._

"H-how long were we like that?" I hear Weiss ask. I smile, turning my head to her as I think briefly.

_Let's see, two episodes of Claymore, and a milk break, that is . . ._

"About forty-five minutes. I watched two episodes of Claymore on my scroll while you two were busy." I keep my voice under control. It was a pretty long hallway to the kitchen, but I am still not sure exactly how far sound can travel in this house. It is something I need to look into to feed a pet peeve of mine that I have, but I have not had the fortunate event of testing it out yet. I like to know everything about my surroundings, and even Yang and Ruby's home is no different. Certain habits in the White Fang die hard, other habits just don't die at all, and this happens to be one of them.

"Ummm, Claymore?" Weiss asks, and immediately my eyes dart to her, but Ruby is quicker on the draw and goes into a brief explanation with her lightning fast wording. I sit back and do my best to follow along, opening my eyes once her words stop and she is carefully working herself to her feet; careful to not step on Weiss and instead help the heiress up.

"Only you two, I swear." Weiss mumbles, and I simply shrug my shoulders, although I am sure the gesture was not seen.

"Let's go to the kitchen and help out Yang." Ruby says, and my eyes immediately dart to the mistletoe hanging in the doorway.

_Ruby, you little mastermind. Yang already caught me with that. I can't believe you would stoop to such a level just for one more kiss. Actually, I'm not surprised at all now that I think about it . . . I wish you luck, Weiss._

I watch as the two of them begin to walk, and I lean up in the recliner to watch the small battle for a simple kiss that will surely erupt.

"I got you Weiss!"

"Huh? What the hell are you talking about, Dolt?"

"Look up." Ruby whispers, and Weiss' face borders between surprise and annoyance after spotting the mistletoe.

"Dolt, you already got your kiss. Nice try." I watch as Weiss turns away, impressing me at her lack of scolding to Little Red, however that doesn't seem to be the end of it.

I watch as Ruby taps Weiss on the shoulder, and when the snow-haired girlfriend turns around, Ruby uses her semblance to go to the other side of Weiss, poking the opposite shoulder now and repeating the process. I fight away my giggles, watching Ruby do so one more time, and this time Weiss shouts out her disapprovals with little knowledge that Ruby is right on the other side of her, waiting to pounce. However, the last thing Ruby needs to do is pounce since Weiss turns right into a kiss that Ruby was clearly waiting for, and before Weiss can get her hands on Ruby to surely scold the poor scythe-wielder, she disappears again.

"Ruby Rose! When I get my hands on you!"

I am sure Weiss and Yang are not aware of where Ruby is, but with my ears I am able to pick up creaking upstairs along with the jingling of a door knob being turned. Ruby is most likely in her room. While Weiss walks to the kitchen, I slide to my feet and make my way to the doorway into the hall.

Right across from the hallway is a staircase that runs parallel to the hallway, and leads upstairs. I go up to the second floor and make a left turn. I bypass the first door on my right that has an Achieve Men poster on it. That is Yang's room.

The next door I pass has no design on it, but does have an extra lock on it. This, as far as I am aware of is the room of Yang and Ruby's father.

The door I want is at the end of the hall. It has the outline of a red rose painted on it, and very professionally done I might add. Along the top of the door I read "_Summer's Little Rose"_. I guess Ruby's favorite season is summer?

I step up to the door, carefully turning the knob to walk in. Ruby is laying down on her bed, looking at the ceiling with her arms behind her head and a smile plastered over her face.

"I'm glad she came." Ruby says while I close the door behind me.

Her room has a very normal design to it. Her door takes up the center of the wall, leaving room for a wide dresser to the left of where I am currently standing, which is where she holds her brushes, and the hair dye that she begged Yang to buy on Ren's recommendation. Ever since the dance Ruby has taken time to try out different colors, but ultimately went back to the white tips since Weiss loved them so much. Ruby's walls are a crimson color, except for a section of each wall, starting from a foot above the floor and below, which are black instead. With a color scheme like this, I assume Ruby took the time to paint it herself. Her bed is along the far side of the room, directly ahead of me and perpendicular in respect to me. Her bed is against the wall, and right above her bed is a window that gives a clear view of the night sky, along with the moderately sized forest in their backyard.

Patch was an island that was mostly suburbs, and forests. A suburban neighborhood usually had a forest nearby, and this home was right next to the largest forest on Patch. It's a forest that has been known to be the home of a few grim, but the grim on patch are known to keep to themselves, oddly enough. The grim defend their forest home, and have never been known to step outside of the forest. At least that is what I was told by both Yang and Ruby.

"I can tell. You were elated when you saw her. I'm glad you didn't tackle her." I say while taking quiet strides over to Ruby's bed and sitting down at the edge.

The moment I do, Ruby tugs me further back, getting me to sit with more of my rear and thighs on the bed, and takes the opportunity to readjust herself to lay her head in my lap.

"Both you and Yang are obsessed with my lap. I don't see the appeal." I roll my eyes, but ultimately end up smiling.

"Oh, please! You lay your head in Yang's lap all the time." Ruby counters, and a small blush covers my face in surprise to her quick counter.

"Yang is a walking superheater. Her lap helps me sleep, and it has helped you sleep in the same way, according to her." I look down to the silver eyes.

"Fair enough. I haven't seen you with eye rings in a while . . . Didn't want to say anything but it used to remind me of a raccoon."

I shake my head at how nonchalantly she is able to say something like that, but the entire team was saying I looked like crap. Even Yang was able to debate that my academics and combat effectiveness was beginning to waiver, and unfortunately she was right, and I was completely aware of it too.

"You're one to talk. The way you stuff your face with cookies will always remind me of a chipmunk." I grin, watching Ruby puff her cheeks and hide her face against my stomach. She is far too cute for her own good.

"Anyway, now that Weiss is here, where is that place you want to take her to tomorrow?" I reach down, ruffling Little Red's hair and eventually coaxing her face off of my stomach.

"Oh, I wanted to take her to the forest out back. There's a very pretty creak back there that I found. I just need to make sure she brings Myrtenaster, because there are some boarbatusks and beowolves back there." Ruby sits up from my lap to gaze out the window near her bedside. "Y'know, I went back there one time when I was younger . . . I got lost and found that creak. I thought, 'hey, if I follow it, then I will find the ocean or something. As long as I am in the outskirts I know my way home.' Well, this was before I learned how to use Crescent Rose . . . even before I made her, and I came by a pack of boarbatusks."

I look at the serious look forming in Ruby's eyes while she still gazes out the window.

"All I could do was run, and they were just so fast. It was then that well . . . I saw a tree so far ahead of me and within a second I was right in front of it, but I didn't think how I got there so fast. I kept running, using the furthest tree in my sights as a marker for where to run, and somehow I got out right in my backyard."

The serious look on Ruby's face disappears. She turns to face me with a smile on her lips, and a tear rolling down her right cheek. I reach out to hug her. I am not sure what is wrong, but the moment I see a tear on her face the first thing I think of is to hug her. However, this time she shakes her head and gently pushes my extended arm away.

"That creak is special to me. It's where I first discovered my semblance, and it was the first time my baby steps turned into leaps on my road to becoming a huntress. If I never wandered into that forest, then who knows how long it would have been until I learned my semblance . . . and by then I may never have gotten to go to Beacon as early as I did. I would never have been in the same year as Yang, met you, or got to know Weiss . . . even though she yelled at me for most of the first semester." Ruby smiles, sliding off of her bed and raising her arms over her head to stretch. "Anyway! I'm going to go get some of the cookies Yang bought me. Want some?"

I still can't understand how she is able to shift her tone so quickly. She is the definition of a child.

"I'll pass. I'm going to take a nap." I stand up, placing a hand on Ruby's head as I pass by her. When I leave her room I can see her jog past me and dash down the steps in a fluid motion. As for myself, I go into Yang's room.

Her room is identical to Ruby's, except she has scattered posters of boybands on her walls. Her walls are predominantly white, with the bottom half being a golden-yellow. Yang has her bed on the far side of the room, and she also has a window above her bed. On each side of the window she has a wall poster of her Ember Celica, and underneath each image is a word.

Under the image on the left is the word '_My'_ in a fancy cursive writing, and in the same writing underneath the other picture is the word '_Babies'_. I swear, Yang obsesses over her weapons just as much as Ruby. Although, I still cannot decide who is worse. In the sense that I am not sure if it is worse that Yang calls her Ember Celica 'My Babies', or that Ruby calls her Crescent Rose 'My Sweetheart'.

_I'll think about this another time._

I shrug my shoulders, hearing a commotion downstairs of Weiss scolding Ruby for already eating cookies and Ruby letting out muffled sounds in retaliation. I bet she has a mouthful of cookies to sound like that. I don't hear Yang at all, so I assume she is just putting away the rest of the groceries while those two have their common mini-argument.

_Well, it is a bit more active with Weiss here at least. I wonder how she will handle meeting their Uncle Qrow, and their father. She's a wreck with her obsession with first impressions._

I make sure to close Yang's door behind me, and make my way over to her bed. She has a light-purple bedsheet that's a few shades lighter than her eyes, a quilt to match, and a white pillowcase. It's a little out of the ordinary color scheme for Yang, but I guess even she can get a bit lazy with colors.

I carefully climb onto the bed, placing my forearms underneath the pillow to elevate it slightly while I lay my head down. I don't bother covering myself, and just move the covers against the wall while I face the same direction and eventually drift away into a peaceful sleep.

(LINE HERE***)

_**Over 9 hours of precious catnapping later**_

"Hotter than Sun, feel my fire.

Pyromaniac: My desire.

Thought that you could see the truth,

'Till I just burned down the booth!"

I roll over to see Yang standing with her back towards me. She on the floor doing pushups and whispering a song that is playing on her headphones. She is wearing what looks like a black sports bra, and matching black boyshorts. When I look next to me on the bed I see that her scroll is displaying a song and I realize she has her headphones connected to her scroll to listen to music. Not something I would use a scroll for, but I suppose it works.

_She's not singing that loud, how can I even hear her? My bow usually-_

I pause, reaching up to touch my ears. Instead of feeling the soft fabric of my bow, I feel the soft fur of my ears and let out a loud sigh. I must have been in such a deep sleep and I can't bear to imagine that Yang would have the self-control to only touch my ears.

"Human Torch can't fuck with me~

Johnny Blaze: Suspect B

Strike 'em quick, lighting fast;

Melt them bitches down to ash~"

I smile as she keeps singing while doing her pushups. I carefully move her scroll to the other side of me, giving me room to roll off of the bed and landing on my fingers and toes silently. As I land I can also see the ribbon for my bow on the floor.

"Gasoline, kerosene;

Strike the match, ignite the scene.

Shit will never be the same;

Feel the fury of my flame!"

She's getting slightly louder with the lyrics; thankfully I am already up. I stand up to walk behind her, being very careful as I place my legs on either side of her calves, then slowly place my hands below her arms. I make sure to position myself directly above her for the moment, but not let myself make contact while she continues to do her pushups.

"Beg for mercy it won't help;

Embrace the ending you were dealt.

Seems you fucks will never learn;

Now sit back and watch me burn!"

I can see a tensing in Yang's lower back, arms and legs. I am not sure how long she has been at this, but her body is sharpening up to adapt to the firm pace she developed.

_I'm sure she'll appreciate the help in training._

I smile to myself, lowering myself on her back. I feel her slap out of her trance and turn her head to look at me, but her hair is obstructing her vision. I shake my head, taking off her headphones and moving her hair away from her face. I lift my legs off of the floor, wrapping them around her inner thighs, and place my arms around her abdomen to hold myself on top of her.

"Hey Kittycat." Yang says with a smile on her face, although I answer with an unamused look.

"Did I say stop your workout? Keep going. How many have you done so far?" I ask. Yang giggles and faces the floor once again. I tense my grip on her when she lowers herself, and make out a slight squeal when she pushes herself up. After two more times I adapt to her pace.

"If you can do 50 of these, I'll keep my bow off for the night. Speaking of which . . . do you know how it came off of my ears?" I whisper into her ear.

"I have no idea, Kittycat, but I guess it's not going on until tomorrow. 50 is not a problem for me!" I chuckle as Yang begins to speed herself up, mumbling each number underneath her breath while I count in my head.

_7, 8, 9_

"I see. So you really think you can do 50 with me on your back?" I begin tracing my fingers along the creases of her abs, admiring the firm 6-pack she has far developed so far.

"H-hey, hehehe that tickles! Stop it!" She shakes her hips to get me to stop while she continues her pushups, not halting in the slightest.

_16, 17, 18_

"I never said I would just sit quietly and not make it more challenging for you. You know me better than that, Yang Xiao Long." I smirk, dragging my left hand slowly up her form to trace the bottom of her sports bra. At the same time I hear the roaring of a nearby car. The sound is like thunder that echoes in my ears and throughout the suburbs, even with Yang's window closed.

_Who would need to take off like that in the suburbs?_

"Dirty game, Blake. Dirty game." Yang whispers as she continues on with her reps. She is already halfway done, and I am not surprised to see no signs of fatigue in her body. Yang has always been at the peak of physical condition, but she isn't the best at keeping her cool when it comes to me. I'm glad to know I have a strong effect on her; it lets me know how genuine her feelings for me are. Shame I love to use that as a form of fun.

"Dirty game? What kind, Yang?" I smirk, opening my yukata far enough for her to feel the fabric of my bra on her back, just between her shoulders. I lean down to her ear, kissing the top of it before I continue. "Strip poker may be a game to play. You haven't seen me completely naked yet, have you?" I feel her right arm slip, but just before her upper body can touch the floor she replants it and adjusts her balance accordingly.

_Shit, so close._

"28 . . . 29 . . . 30" Yang whispers during sharp exhales. She is doing her best to ignore me, but even my blonde brawler has a limit.

"Maybe if you win in poker we could take a bath together. Think about it. A nice, hot shower with your bare Kitty in your arms." I begin to purr. Her arms start to shake, but she still continues, fighting to make it to 50.

"T-thirty-three . . . 34"

_She's resistant today. Wait, is someone here?_

I divert my attention away for a moment. Someone is entering the house, it must finally be Yang's father. I suppose I still have a few minutes before Yang and I will need to go downstairs, so I guess I should end this now.

"F-forty!"

_Woah, when did she get to forty!?_

"Why are you ignoring me, Yang? Don't you love me?" I begin kissing along her ear and neck, waiting for her to crack. Several shivers erupt throughout her body, but she holds firm, although she begins to slow down drastically, allowing me more chances to get her to slip up.

"F-F-Forty….FIVE!" Yang screams, her aura making a brief burst. Whatever she has been doing prior definitely took a toll on her. I can hear several drops of sweat hitting the wooden floor below us, and when I peek down I see a small puddle beginning to form. She's actually breaking a sweat.

_My poor brawler._

"Not nice to ignore me, Yang . . . what happens if I am in a heat cycle right now? That would make you a really bad girlfriend to ignore that. Especially when I-" I trace my tongue around her ear once more, dragging my left hand over her left breast and take a quick grasp of it over her top. "-need you to love me"

_And that's the icing on the cake._

The shivers within Yang eventually show visibly in her arms, and just as she reaches forty-nine, her right arm gives out and she rolls over onto her back, also sending me tumbling off of her and a few feet to her side.

"Damnit that hurt like a bitch!" I hiss, reaching underneath me to rub my back. I turn my head to look over at Yang, but she's not there. Instead I see a hand slam down next to my head and interrupt my view. When I turn my head up I can see an angry blonde looming over me with red eyes.

"I swear, Kittycat . . . if you keep this up, one day I am going to pin you to the floor-"

"Like you have me now." I cut in briefly.

"Tear off your clothes."

"I'm only in shorts, a yukata, and a bra."

"And show you I'm not only an ace on the battlefield!"

"But you'd rather wait to make our first time very erotic." I cut in again.

"I'll show you erot-!"

I hook my fingers into the top of Yang's sports bra and make a firm tug to get her down to me. I place my lips to hers, wrapping my legs around her waist to keep her from escaping as I silence her angry threats. I can feel the heat radiating from her body, and can hear the sizzling sound of her sweat evaporating from her form. I almost forget that I had opened my yukata, and now with me on my back it is draped on the floor, leaving me to show off my conservative, light-purple bra. Normally I would not worry about how I appear in front of Yang, but upon hearing the door to her room open, I go wide-eyed and peek above me to the sight of a jaw-dropped, upside down Ruby.

"I . . . ummm . . ." the team leader stutters, unable to form a proper word.

"R-Rubes, I swear, it's not what it seems!" Yang gasps, raising an arm out to her sister.

_Hmmm . . . revenge for Yang threatening me with sex . . . this will be too easy._

"Y-Ya~~~ng! Why'd you stop!?" I wrap my arms around her neck, pulling her tightly against me and whisper into her ear. "Never try to threaten me, Yang. I always win . . . I'll forgive you, though." I give a slight kiss to her cheek and neck, and when I look back towards the doorway, Ruby is long gone.

"Not cool, Blake. I think you just scarred my sister." Yang sighs, placing her palm against her forehead while I let go of her.

"I'll explain it to her later, not a problem. Anyway, she probably came up because someone's here. I heard a car engine roaring earlier, and I felt like someone came into the house."

"Alright, well let me go see who it is." Yang stands up and makes her way to the door, but before she leaves I whistle to get her attention. "Huh?"

"How about a tank top and shorts to go down there in?" I roll my eyes at my own girlfriend's indecency.

"In my own house?"

"Yes." I flash her a firm stare, and she sighs, submitting to my will and makes quick work of placing on a golden tank top and black basketball shorts before dashing downstairs. There appears to be a little commotion going on downstairs. I make quick work of redoing my yukata, making sure it covers everything it needs to. I begin walking to the door and freeze in the doorway.

_I feel a breeze on my ears . . ._

I look over my shoulder at my ribbon sitting on the floor.

_Yang, I swear, if I went down without my bow. I would have killed you!_

I walk back to gather the long strand of ribbon, tying it into a bow over my ears, as quick as possible.

The moment I am done I carefully walk to the stairs and make my way down. Since I am barefoot I have the odd habit of walking on the balls of my feet. As I get to the bottom of the step I am greeted with the odd sight of Yang, Weiss, and Ruby all laughing their asses off. I continue my way into the doorway, leaning against the left side of it.

Looking to my left I get a minor surprise to see someone sitting there, shaking his head at the situation. He appears to look younger than he actually is, passing off easily at about 30, though I am certain he is much older. His hair is jet black and is slightly messy looking. It somehow reminds me of Professor Ozpin's hair, although this man's hair is shorter. He is currently wearing a black leather jacket, and black denim jeans. He easily towers over anyone in this room. I can't exactly say what his height is, but I will say with confidence that he is over 6 feet tall. He is also very slim when I gaze at his wrist that appears out of the sleeve of his jacket, exposing part of his actual physique, instead of the bulky mass the leather jacket can fake one out to believe.

At his side is a dark green backpack that is wide open for some reason, and to add to the odd disposition he has, he is also twirling a skinny, 6-inch piece of metal between his fingers rather subconsciously.

A closer look at him, and I can see that his eyes are red, making me realize he has some sort of relation to Yang.

"Um, are you Yang's father?" I ask in a voice softer than my usual tone.

He turns his head immediately, appearing to be surprised at my presence.

_Suppose I should introduce myself . . . Yang is unable to at the moment._

His gaze is firm, meeting my amber eyes, then darting over me, appearing to scan my form briefly prior to looking back into my eyes. There is not a smile on his face, nor a look of anger or displeasure. I can't read him at this moment, yet he looks like he can already tell me my life story.

"No, actually I am her uncle . . . and for some reason I suppose I am also on my best comedy skit tonight." He gestures to the rest of my team. As he speaks a natural smile crosses his lips, but once he is done it disappears once again. He appears to be very friendly and social, for now at least . . . I hope he doesn't take my relationship with Yang badly. At least I hope he doesn't. It will make things a lot easier. Yang and I already agreed that on the slim chance he or her father disapprove, there won't be a single change between us.

"Well, I guess that means your sense of humor is better than Yang's . . . That's a good thing." I offer him a slight smile while taking a seat on the arm of the sofa.

_Well, here goes Blake._

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Blake Belladonna. I'm a student at Beacon, and the fourth member of Team RWBY. I am partners with Yang, and I have been going out with her for over a month now."

_A little blunt, but I guess that's how I am used to talking._

I am surprised to see his jaw drop at my words. Was it really that shocking for Yang to be going out with a woman? Or I guess even her uncle is aware of Yang's inability to hold a relationship. Regardless, I feel a bit awkward with the absent-minded stare he is giving me, and it is time for me to snap him back to reality.

"So, if I may ask . . . what is so funny?" I say in my normal voice, which snaps him out of his intense stare. He shakes his head a moment, and returns the smile I gave him earlier.

"First off, pleasure to meet you Blake. Please, just call me Qrow, or Mister Qrow, or just Mister . . . one of my jobs is teaching at Signal, so all of those names are familiar to me. I despise being addressed as 'Sir' for personal reasons." He says, then slouches back on the couch as if a huge burden has been lifted from his shoulders.

"And apparently I'm asking out Glynda Goodwitch."

_I have a better chance of not being discriminated if I show my ears, than he has of asking out Goodwitch . . . at least now I know guts is a part of the family._

"Well, I wish you plenty of luck with that. You'll need it." I chuckle, looking down to my teammates who are still able to keep laughing their asses off; laughing even harder after I made my introduction. When I look back at Qrow, he is staring at me intently before looking up above my eyes, most likely at my bow.

"Tell me, Blake. Your team knows everything about you?" He asks, sitting himself back up in the sofa, and crossing his right leg over his left.

"Certain parts of my past I wish not to share . . . but what does that have to do of anything Sir, I mean, Mister Qrow." I give an apologetic wave after I slip up and address him with the exact title he requested of me not to use.

"I see, well if that's the case, then I don't think you need to hide your Faunus heritage from me" He smiles at me, but my eyes shift quickly to Weiss, Yang and Ruby who are all looking at Qrow with dumbfounded looks on their face.

"How did you know?" I turn my head back at him.

"Your eyes are very cat-like. You have a different posture. Your nose wiggles a little when you sniff and . . . okay, who am I kidding? You only tied your bow over one ear." He gives a shrug of his shoulders. "Like I said, there is no need to wear a bow around here anyway. This part of Patch is very anti-discriminatory, as is this family. Though, a word of advice: Take a trip into town with Yang sometime . . . it will help stop the several exes of hers from attempting to get back with her . . . will also make my life easier since they walk up to me most of the time, annoying bastards."

"Two Qrows with one stone, so to speak?" I ask, grinning at my little play on words.

"No. two mice with one cat." He counters, returning the grin towards me.

_Well, he is nice enough. I guess I was a little too worried. One down, only one to go._


	44. Training, Tailgates, and Trouble

_**POV: YANG XIAO LONG**_

_**Chapter 44 – Training, Tailgates, and Trouble**_

"Alright, thanks for help with the groceries, Weiss. Hm, you know where Ruby is?"

"I wish I did, I need to give that Dolt a piece of my mind." I smile to myself at her response. I place Ruby's strawberries in the fridge for now.

_Meh, she'll come find 'em when she gets hungry._

"Alright, since my sis is MIA, you're going to help me with some focus mitt training." I grin, grabbing the unwilling Ice Queen by the arm and bringing her out to the back patio.

"You brute! Let me go! And what are focus mitts anyway?" She asks after I pull her outside. Out of sheer shock I let her go, my jaw dropping at how she doesn't know what one of the most basic boxing training tools are.

"You don't know what focus mitts are? Are you kidding me? Definitely glad I dragged you out now." I shake my head.

"I'm glad you acknowledged that you did in fact drag me out here." She rolls her eyes at me.

"Hey, you and I haven't trained in a while. Might as well do something as light as this." I dispute, walking over towards one of the glass tables in the corner of the back patio, my focus mitts sitting right on top from my quick session early in the morning with Blake. As I walk back to her I place them on my hands while I begin to explain.

"All you do is wear them like this while I punch. All you need to do is either turn your hand sideways, or face your palm to the floor. Depending on how it is positioned I will either throw a hook, or an uppercut. Then on occasion you would swing a mitt at me and I will need to dodge it without moving away. It's pretty simple training."

I take off the mitts and hand them to Weiss who carefully places them on. They are gold mitts with a single black stripe along the side, and in the middle are two black rings and a black circle in the center, making a target sign on the center of each mitt. I reach out to help tighten the Velcro straps around the back of her hands to assure each mitt is secure. Weiss looks at me pretty hesitantly. I guess she expects me to throw a wild punch at her face or something. I usually would, but she just got here; not sure it would be smart to knock out my sister's girlfriend on her first day in Patch.

"Just relax Weiss. I'll keep the power punching away for now. Just hold up your hands and let me show you that it doesn't hurt." I lift myself off of my heels, making baby hops on the balls of my feet and bring my hands up in a defensive boxing posture, hiding my cheeks behind my fists while I wait for Weiss to lift her hands.

"I'm not as weak as I used to be Yang . . . you don't need to baby me . . . but thank you." Weiss looks down after her last words. If I could say one thing Weiss and I will ever have the same personality wise, it's our pride. Although hers does vary from mine slightly. She moves her left leg back, putting herself in a more stable position while she lifts the mitts up to chest level with herself. She is shorter than me, so I am forced to lower myself a bit, but I guess it lets me work on my 'super close range' fighting.

I lower by slightly hunching over, and bringing my arms tighter to my sides. My eyes focus on the gloves, and I can see a slight look of concern on Weiss' face. She's never been my training partner, so I guess she's never used focus mitts with me, so she is not used to the intense stare I go into when I am about to begin. I'm sure she'll realize it after I start. She'll only continue to be scared until she gets used to it.

_Alright, Weiss. Let's hope those skinny wrists of yours aren't THAT fragile._

I begin with two quick left jabs to her left mitt, releasing sharp, short exhales that have a hybrid sound between a hiss and a 'tsk'. She handles the two jabs well, her hand barely moving back, and she makes quick work of setting it back into place.

_That's it Ice Queen._

I change it up slightly now, throwing a left punch to her left mitt, then a right punch to the other. I begin alternating my rhythm, going from the basic left, right combo to a left, left, right combo, and sticking to basic strikes, since she is not turning the mitts just yet.

"Alright, don't forget to turn your hands a bit. Make me change my punches up, and don't be afraid to swing at me. Those mitts are padded; I won't feel a thing." I exit my stance for a moment while I speak, giving her a chance to lower her hands and rest a moment.

"Yang, I think I may be better help to you without the mitts on." Weiss says while giving me a focused stare.

"What do you mean? I don't want to break your hands." I place my hands on my hips, not sure how many screws that apparent 1,000 meter freefall of hers may have knocked lose.

"You won't. Now help me get these things off, my hands are starting to sweat." She holds out her hands to me, and after giving her another unsure glare I unstrap the Velcro and pull the mitts off of her hands. The moment I do she holds her hands up immediately, this time about head level to herself. It is the perfect height for my usual striking, but I am not so sure about this.

"Weiss, I seriously don't want to break your hands, or sprain your wrists."

_Why am I so hesitant?_

"You're not going to you Brute! Now stop being such a wuss and punch already!" Weiss snaps at me, holding her hands up with complete confidence.

_Wuss? The last thing I am is a Wuss, Ice Queen!"_

I sharpen my stare at her left hand. I throw my first punch, softer than most and I am amazed when I feel my hand make contact, but Weiss' hand doesn't move from their spot.

"Come on, Yang. Both hands. Show me those fancy combos of yours." Weiss smiles at me. I must admit, I'm surprised she is encouraging me to go faster.

"Alright, Ice Queen. Be ready" I get a small grin, throwing a quick two combo. One to her left hand, the other to her right. Both punches definitely land, but again her hands don't move in the slightest.

_What the hell? Since when does she have any upper body strength?_

"Come on, Yang. This is hardly even a warmup for you. PUNCH!"

_I AM PUNCHING YOU ANNOYING SNOWFLAKE!_

I shout in my head, throwing a firm right hand, and my eyes widen as I see the punch being delivered. I actually put my aura into this one, and it is already centimeters from Weiss' hand. There is no pulling it back. I close my eyes, expecting to hear a shout of pain, but instead I hear an odd noise resonate in my head for a split second, and my hand has a cold feeling along the knuckles. I open my eyes to see it sitting in Weiss' palm. Weiss has a smile on her face.

"There's the Yang I know. Throw another just like that one." She nods her head at me, letting my hand go.

_How the hell did she catch that!?_

"Alright, these will all have a bit of aura on them . . . be ready." I warn. I take a deep breath, both of my hands getting a golden outline. I clench my fists tighter than before and go back to my rapid flurry of punches, alternating between which hands I target in a swift combination of punches. My eyes widen when Weiss begins to move her hands around, tilting them as I suggested, but when she does it is very unpredictable, and I barely get a look at her palms when she does.

It soon becomes a game of me slowly adding more aura to each punch, wanting to find out how she is doing this, but also wanting to know that I haven't gotten any weaker. My punches are always firm, and on the money. There is not a single person who should be able to block them with such little effort, especially Weiss of all people!

"Yang, this is hardly training if you don't start actually trying. Let's move off of the patio to give you some more room." Weiss puts her hands down and starts walking down the steps and onto the grass. She walks halfway towards the forest that is about 100 meters from the house, giving us a large radius to work with, also meaning I don't have much of a reason to not throw my more serious punches.

"Weiss, how are you taking these? That's not possible, especially for you, no offense."

"You're not trying hard enough, that's why." She says in her coldest tone that is only matched by her stare. If she's trying to make me angry, it's working, and when she places her hands up this time I plan on showing her I am not to be made fun of.

_You handle a few jabs and suddenly you're all that . . . I have a punch that will knock that pretty little smirk off of your face right now!_

I raise my hands up, bringing my right leg slightly further back than usual. I clench my right hand slowly, one finger at a time. First my pinky, then my ring finger, followed my middle, and index. I see the air around me enter a slight haze from the heat my body is radiating, but the entire time Weiss is just smirking at me.

_Get that smile off your face, damnit!_

I begin to get angrier, and in her crystal blue eyes I can make out a slight touch of red. My eyes have finally changed color, and I need to blow off some steam with this one punch. I waste no time in swinging my arm. I make sure it is my perfected right cross, twist my hips, and add additional momentum to it when I slam my right heel into the grass at the moment of impact. I keep a firm stare as my fist goes for Weiss' right hand, and my eyes widen at the sight.

I never noticed it before, but with a more powerful punch it is forced to linger longer, and with my right cross I am finally able to see how Weiss has been able to shrug off each punch. I haven't seen her do it since our fight, but she's able to make glyphs right in front of her palms, and more impressively, above both palms unlike before. I stare as the momentum in my punch goes away, along with the aura. At the same instant her glyph disappears and my punch lands harmlessly in her palm yet again.

_So this is how . . ._

"Trying to kill me, Yang? Sheesh, a right cross of all things?" Weiss scolds me, thinking I didn't see her glyph, but the unamused stare I give her tells the whole story, and she sighs upon realizing I saw it.

"How long have you been able to do that?" I ask, putting my hands down to show I am done for now.

Weiss smiles softly, holding her palm up and forming a small glyph on it. After a moment it slowly expands, doubling in size, but soon shatters like a mirror, and the pieces disappear soon after.

"About a week . . . I tried it out once when I was training with Ruby. It worked, but I didn't want her seeing it . . . she made it clear she was scared of it when I did it during our spar . . . so I started practicing with Ren who would do small aura pulses into my glyph to test how much I can handle. As long as the attack is small and pinpointed I can pretty much block it . . . anything larger than my palm and I have a bit of trouble with it, but I think I am making progress." Weiss smiles, looking down at both of her hands, "I want to be able to be as strong as I was when we fought, and I will be. I just don't know when." Weiss turns her head to look at me, giving me a soft smile.

"Yes you will, Weiss . . . I wish you would have just told me. I ended up using more aura than I wanted and I still need to go do my jogging and pushups." I sigh, starting to walk back to the house.

"Well, think of it as more of a challenge, I guess." Weiss says while she walks with me. I am a tad surprised to see her looking at things a bit more optimistically. That usually isn't something she is known for.

_Guess Ruby has really been rubbing off on her. How about that._

"Yeah, I guess I need a little more of a challenge. I'm gonna go get changed. Try not to yell at my sis too much, alright?" I get a nod from Weiss that satisfies me enough. I open the back door of the house that leads into the kitchen and make my way straight upstairs to my room.

I am a bit surprised to see Blake curled up in my bed when I walk in. Her back is towards the door, and it looks like she adapted a more 'cat like' sleeping position with the way she is curled up, although her head is nice and comfortable on my pillow.

_I can't believe her. First she asks where my room is, then decides she'd rather sleep in the attic for some reason, and now she is back in my room. Well, plus side to it all . . . I have a kitty in my bed_

I smile to myself and nod, taking a moment to walk over and lean over my bed to look at Blake's adorable sleeping face.

_I wish I didn't have to take my jog . . . well, I don't, actually. I NEED to take it. I'll get far too restless if I don't._

I let out a quiet sigh, taking the chance to lean down and plant a kiss on Blake's cheek. It's a tough fight to leave my Sleeping Beauty, but I know just what will get me motivated!

_Alright, Yang. If you can run your usual 30 miles in only 3 hours, then you can take off Blake's bow if she's still sleeping! Yup, that's my reward!_

I grin, carefully moving away from the bed and dashing over to my dresser. I open the very bottom drawer, pulling out my black sports bra from the right side of the drawer. I make quick work of stripping my tops and place it on instead. These things are always a pain in the ass to get on for well . . . D-related reasons, but once they are on the hard part is over. I smile, humming to myself while I take off my current shorts, exposing the black boyshorts I am wearing underneath, and add a pair of white jogging shorts to go over.

_Alright, Yang! Out we go!_

I search for my scroll in one of the pockets in my discarded clothing, as well as grab my headphones from on top of my dresser. I have been getting bored during my workouts, so with the free scroll that Beacon gave me, I made a point to add an anti-boredom plan onto my scroll. I call it the Yang Xiao Long Entertainment Center – a shitload of music!

I place my headphones over my ear while I leave my room, being very careful to close the door behind me and dash down the steps. As I make my way to the door I peek into the living room a moment to see Ruby and Weiss sharing the couch. Ruby has her head on Weiss' lap while Weiss absentmindedly plays with Ruby's white tips.

_Okay, I'll admit . . . they're cute together._

I shake my head with a grin on my face. Deciding to ruin the moment briefly I lean through the doorway and in my softest whisper I startle the two of them so easily.

"Going out for a jog you two. If I find out Blake woke up because you two made too much noise . . . I'll break your hands, Weiss. Then I'll eat all of Ruby's cookies in front of her, kay?" Needless to say, the two of them quickly agrees. The last thing I want is my reward being taken away because someone had to wake my girlfriend up.

"I'm glad we reached this agreement, then. Don't do anything rated-M you two!" I hum to myself and walk outside.

I stand in the middle of the street, lowering into a crouch first to begin playing my music. I find one of my most blood-pumping tracks and set it on repeat, then place my scroll into my pocket. Fortunately my shorts have a zipper over the pocket, so I am able to take an extra precaution to make sure my scroll doesn't fall out.

_Do it for Blake, Yang . . . those ears will be mine!_

I begin at a gentle jog while the music begins to fill my ears, starting off with building instrumentals. It's not until an hour into my run that I hear one of the songs I've been waiting for. The song that echoes that all of Beacon will Remember The Name of Yang Xiao Long.

_This is 10% luck, 20% skill_

_15% concentrated power of will_

_5% pleasure, 50% pain_

_And 100% reason to remember the name!_

It's at this moment that I take something out of Ruby's playbook, something not a lot of people notice when she uses her semblance, or at least when she uses her semblance at its best. I slam my right foot into the ground and lean forward, forcing all my weight on my one leg for the split second. With a sharp burst of my aura through that foot I take an explosive step that sends me into my full speed, and from then on I make it a point to never slow down.

My running leads me into town; the same town I was just picking up groceries in, although it's not uncommon for me to make multiple trips here in one day. I dash down the street, moving more towards the curb to avoid any cars that may be coming by, although there are very few times a car passes through. As another one of my songs make a slow fade to transition into the next, I hear a voice call my name. A very close voice actually.

"Where's the fire, Yang?" I look to my right at the sidewalk, surprised to see one of my oldest friends, and also one of the people I have had a momentary deeper sort of relation with. She has hair the same length as Ruby's, except it has a more gothic style to it (on top of being an autumn orange). Her right eye is always covered by her hair, leaving her left eye to do all of the seeing for her. The outer part of her eye is a Halloween orange, and as it gets closer to her pupil it fades slightly to a more yellowish color, but her pupils are a pitch black. When I look into her eye I can see a stare similar to Blake's, although this look is more predatory, and a bit more menacing with how narrow her pupils are.

She's wearing an orange tank top with black shorts that have orange lining. She has tanner complexion compared to myself. She's a bordering becoming a shade of caramel, though is still a tad too pale to be considered as such. She has a relatively small nose, and the grin she is known for flaunts her sharp teeth to their fullest.

On top of her head are two cat-like ears that match her hair color, but are also decorated with black spots. She's one of my best friends, former lover, longtime rival, and the fastest girl in Patch. She is the cheetah Faunus, Shun . . . Shun Hitomi. The rough translation of her first name is Swift. I forgot what the translation of her last name is, but I recall it has something to do with beautiful eyes, and I will admit her eyes have always been one of her best features.

I keep my running pace, but move my headphones off of my right ear to hear her better as the next song starts.

"Doing my running. I need to work on my endurance." I say while I keep at a full sprint, although Shun keeps pace with me at what appears to be a steady jog for her.

"Cool, need a running partner? Will be just like old times." I look at her out the corner of my eye. Her stare is focused on me, analyzing my entire form. It has always been like this when I am near her, and I guess that now since I am with Blake I feel an awkwardness when Shun looks at me. It's an odd feeling, like . . . I'm insecure when she looks at me. I don't like this feeling, yet I can't say exactly what it is.

"Ummm, Hito . . . could you tone that down a bit?" I ask between breathes. I'm still not panting yet, and that's a really good sign so far.

"Stop what?" She asks, her pupils widening a bit to something a bit less predatory and menacing.

"St-staring at me. It's getting me uneasy." I turn my head forward, placing my headphone over my ear and speeding up once again, focusing my breathing while I continue through town. I begin losing myself into my music once again and the next song I hear that pushes me into the next gear is a unique mash up of four songs into a more techno remix. The instrumentals itself are very unique, echoing in my ears as if I am really in a club. The soft trance-like rhythm is replaced by a xylophone-like tune until the first song sets in.

_Red like Roses fills my dreams and brings me to the place you rest_

_White is cold and always yearning, burdened by a royal test._

_Black the beast descends from shadows._

_Yellow beauty burns . . . Gold._

A smile crosses my lips. I made this track after hearing a song Blake fell in love with. A song she felt described the struggles she has gone through as a Faunus. I personally don't see the super deep poetry hidden inside, but I like the song itself, but I needed more to it . . . something to slowly amp up towards it. So, what did I do? Well, I took an old melody Ruby likes to listen to, techno-fied it, then got a recording of Weiss singing . . . have to admit, the Ice Queen has a great voice, sped it up a bit, altered the background sound, added some instruments, and bang . . . I now have my favorite kickass track.

Okay, maybe I didn't do all that . . . I asked Jaune for help. Wimpy guy is great on a computer, I'll give him that. I kind of wish I made him the DJ for the dance, but I didn't know he could do stuff like that until afterwards when he was bored in class, and started messing around with his scroll. Yup, I was nosey and bored, so I peeked and became impressed as hell! So, thank you Jaune Arc for my awesome music!

_Mirror . . . tell me sooooomething_

_Tell me, who's the loneliest of all?_

_Fear of . . . what's inside me~_

_Tell me, can a heart be turned to stone?_

I flex my fingers in sync to the metronome in the background. It brings a smile to my lips. I should show this to Weiss. She may kill me for having her voice recorded and adjusted, but it's her fault for singing on the dorm roof. If you don't want to be recorded, you sing in the shower, duh!

"Still cute as ever Yang~" I feel my headphone move from my ear, and I turn my head once again to see Shun staring at me with that predatory gaze of hers. "I'll join you. I need a warm up, and you already have me steaming."

I can hear the purring erupting from deep within her chest. It's a borderline growl but I've known Shun long enough to be able to tell the difference.

"Guess I haven't told you. I'm taken, Hito." I face forward again to continue running. In my left ear I begin hearing the start of Blake's song, and immediately I can picture her smile in my head, and in turn I get the second surge I need. The reminder of the reward I promised myself.

_Her ears are mine_

I lean my upper body forward more, taking another aura-bursting step to enter an all-out sprint. It's been roughly 2 ½ hours since I started, so now it is the time I should be picking up the base. I started off slow to warm up, and now is when I will make up for lost time.

"Just you having a man in your life is supposed to make me stop?"

_Hito, I dumped you. Deal with it!_

I refrain from making a comment, and instead continue running. I am just passing by my halfway point – a 3-way intersection with nothing in front of me but a wall.

_Hope I can still do this._

I smile, dashing across the street towards the brick wall. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Shun slow down, having no clue what I am doing running right towards a dead end.

"Yang, you're going to break that pretty face of yours!" she shouts at me with a mild concern in her voice.

_Idiot, I'm too thick-headed for that . . . or so I'm told._

I jump just short of the wall, turning my body perpendicular to the wall, and parallel to the floor. I squat while I rotate myself in mid-air. A smile crosses my lips when my feet press flatly to the wall. All I can see now is an upside down view of the street I just ran down, and the completely shocked look of the cheetah Faunus standing aside in awe at a new trick I learned for a quick change in momentum, although I admit it isn't my own idea. I got the idea when I saw some professional swimmers doing it when tagging up on a wall.

Then again, doing stupid things I see from sports is part of who I am. I have a way of Yangifying anything I see!

As my momentum brings me to a squat against the wall, I push off with all of my strength as well as twirl myself to spin so I am no longer upside down. My downward fall reminds me of my first trial in Beacon, and when I am close enough to the floor, I extend my palms to the ground to make me roll to my feet, completing a repeat of my landing strategy nostalgia with a loud

"Nailed it!"

_I'm coming home, Blake!_

I continue running at full speed, looking over my shoulder to see that Shun is still staring in complete shock. I turn forward and direct my eyes far down the road towards the seeable, yet distant edge of town that will change into a suburban scenery. Blake's section of the song is coming to an end, and it is replaced by a portion of a song that I consider to be my theme song.

_Come at me,_

_And you'll see_

_I'm more than meets the eye._

_You think that_

_You'll take me_

_You're gonna find in time._

"You're standing too close to a flame that's burning,

Hotter than the sun in the middle of July.

Send out your army, but you still can't win;

Listen up, silly boy 'cuz I'm gonna tell you why."

I begin to sing, my favorite song getting me far too pumped up to just remain quiet while I jog, although my eyes widen when I hear the familiar, purring voice in my ear.

"Still into that Lamar Hall crap I see. So, what's the lucky guy's name?" I turn to where I heard the voice, but she isn't at my right side. I turn to look ahead of me and there is Shun . . . showing off even further by matching my full sprint by only running backwards.

"It's a girl!" I shout, moving to the other side of the street while I run to avoid being distracted by Shun's questioning.

"Oooo, so I'm losing you to a gal? Find her on the streets of Vale or something?"

She's right back at my side, jogging effortlessly to match me. I turn my head to look at her, seeing her gazing over my body once again, but this time I flare my aura. The pure brightness makes her pupils shrink even further, and force her to break sight.

"I'm not yours to gawk at. And I met her at Beacon, now leave me alone!" I snap. When she looks at me again I can see the reflection of my red eyes in her gaze. She pissed me off, and it's about time she realized it.

"I see . . . tell her not to get too comfortable with you . . . I've had my eyes on you since our days in Signal." And there it is. That freaky, fang-flaunting grin of hers as she slows down and leaves me to the rest of my run.

_We're through, Hito . . . deal with it_

I slow to a jog the rest of the way, making it back to the house with ten minutes left to my deadline. My aura has been raging inside me, burning the sweat from my body before it can even begin to trickle. I open the door as gently as I can, realizing that with my head in such a tear, I could very well yank it off the hinges by mistake.

I close the door behind me and peek into the living room. There is some cheesy romance movie on. On the couch is Ruby, sitting comfortably and being very attentive, and looking lower I can see Weiss with her head on Ruby's lap, equally as attentive to the movie. Both their hands are interlaced with each other's, and it seems their grip only tightens as the movie goes on.

_Ice Queen . . . you keep this up and I may start thinking you have a real heart._

I smile, deciding to leave my sis and her girlfriend alone, and instead I head upstairs to my room where Blake is still sleeping soundly in the same position as earlier.

_I did it, Blake._

I whisper in my head, as if somehow she can hear me. It was already dark outside when I came in, but I still feel like I need to burn energy. I'm riled up, that grin . . . that fang-flaunting grin was far too certain of victory for my tastes. Just what was Shun Hitomi up to?

I shake the thoughts of a jealous cheetah Faunus from my head while I kick off my running shoes and lay down on my bed next to Blake. I told myself I would take my own reward from Blake. It's a simple guilty pleasure I have. I just want to look at her adorable ears. I carefully reach out with both hands, grasping each end of her bow and slowly pulling until the knot gives in and the ribbon appears to fall apart from her furry attribute.

_There's my pretty kitty_

I smile, tossing the ribbon over my shoulder to land on the floor somewhere. I inch myself closer to her, pressing my chest to her back and placing an arm around her.

"Blake. I'm never leaving you. I don't know what Hito is planning, but I know you won't fall for it. I worked too hard to finally get you."

I lean in and press my lips to her cheek, inhaling the familiar fragrance in her hair from the shampoo she uses. I carefully hook my arm over her abdomen while I slide myself as close to her as possible, trying not to wake her, even though deep down I want her to. I want her to wake up and scold me for bother her. I want her to roll her eyes and scream at me for being an annoyance. I feel so uneasy and worried, but I can't tell her about Shun. How will she react? She'll see that Shun's a Faunus and go back to thinking I only wanted her because of her cat ears. That I saw Shun's image when I first met her, and all I wanted was to rekindle an old flame.

I don't want Blake to think that for a second. Blake was so mysterious and had a hostility to her that drew me in even closer. I was eager to see what the mysterious, bow-wearing girl was hiding underneath the tough exterior. Blake is Blake. Shun is Shun. Shun and I are done. Blake and I are just beginning, and that is how it is meant to be.

I give Blake's cheek one more kiss, then add another kiss to the tip of one of her ears, smiling as it flutters from the tiniest touch to it.

_You're just so adorable._

I decide to lay with her for a bit longer. A few seconds turn into a minute. That single minute turning into ten minutes, then an hour. I fight myself to eventually pull away from her.

"Let her sleep, Yang." I whisper to myself. I place my headphones back over my ears, then take my scroll out of my pocket and put it on the bed behind Blake. My music has been playing the entire time, but I must have tuned it out. This time my favorite song is entering my ear, and I begin to feel my body start to twitch with the need to exert whatever energy is left.

_This is the song for it, Yang! Push-ups!_

I take a few steps from Blake and drop down to my knees. I lean forward to plant my hands on the ground, and then lift my knees off of the floor. I make sure I adapt a perfect posture. The lyrics echoing in my head with each motion. It's the same lyrics that were playing from the mashup I asked Jaune to put together, but now the second verse is kicking in . . . my favorite part of the entire song.

"_**Hotter than sun, feel my fire.**_

_**Pyromaniac: My desire**_

_**Thought that you could see the truth,**_

'_**Till I just burned down the booth**_

_**Human Torch can't fuck with me,**_

_**Johnny Blaze: Suspect B**_

_**Strike 'em quick, lighting fast;**_

_**Melt them bitches down to ash!**_

_**Gasoline, kerosene;**_

_**Strike the match, ignite the scene.**_

_**Shit will never be the same;**_

_**Feel the fury of my flame!**_

_**Beg for mercy it won't help;**_

_**Embrace the ending you were dealt.**_

_**Seems you fucks will never learn;**_

_**Now sit back and watch me burn!"**_

Right now this entire verse reflects my feelings towards Shun. I want to burn her, scorch her and make her know that I will never turn on Blake.

_I'll put her into the hospital if she even comes near Blake . . . There's not a thing that I won't do to protect my Kitty . . . Even if it means-_

I snap out of my darker state of mind. There's a weight on my back and a sweet fragrance nearby. I turn my head to look over my right shoulder but my hair is in my way. I don't need to wait long before gentle fingers brush along my skin to move my hair from my face.

I'm happy to be greeted by Blake's relaxed grin. She's as emotionless as ever in appearance, but I am happy to see that slight gleam in her eye.

"Hey Kittycat" I say to her, a smile uncontrollably taking charge of my lips, although there is an unamused look in her eyes.

_Guess she's mad about the missing bow . . . if she's noticed yet. Not sure she did._

"Did I say stop your workout? Keep going. How many have you done so far?" She asks. At the same moment, I face the floor and prepare to lower. I drop myself slightly, waiting for Blake's instinct to get a better grip on me to take hold. Almost instantly I can feel her arms tighten around my abdomen, and I take that as a sign to continue my motion. It is not until I do 5 pushups that she breaks the silence and offers me a challenge that I cannot refuse.

"If you can do 50 of these, I'll keep my bow off for the night." My cheeks begin to redden, her breath is brushing over my ear, and she's speaking in the hushed whispers that draw out shivers to my spine. "Speaking of which . . . do you know how it came off of my ears?"

_Fuck, she noticed . . . Guess I'll find out how pissed she is soon enough_

"I have no idea, Kittycat," I lie, "But I guess it's not going on until tomorrow. 50 is not a problem for me!"

_I'll do as many as you need me to . . . and then some._

_I'm never losing you, Blake Belladonna._

* * *

_Disclaimer: The song lyrics here are not owned by me. One of the song owners is Fort Minor (Remember the Name) The other is of course RWBY! Please don't sue me . . .  
_


	45. A Good Hostess

_**POV: RUBY ROSE**_

_**Chapter 45 – Parental Approval**_

"Tell me, Blake. Your team knows everything about you?" I stop my laughing, looking on at Uncle Qrow as he speaks with Blake. My uncle isn't a person to ask a question without it leading somewhere, and I doubt that streak would change now.

"Certain parts of my past I wish not to share . . . but what does that have to do of anything Sir? I mean, Mister Qrow." I watch as Blake winces from calling my uncle the one title he despises most, but she doesn't know that Uncle Qrow has a really, really, really, long fuse.

"I see, well if that's the case, then I don't think you need to hide your Faunus heritage from me." My jaw drops as Uncle Qrows words. Yang and Weiss quickly turn their heads towards Blake, unable to understand how he was able to find out so quickly, and Blake wastes no time in asking the question all of us are thinking.

"How did you know?" Her tone is harsh, and her eyes are fixed on him, but as usual he is unfazed by the tension in the air, and goes on to explain very simplistically.

"Your eyes are very cat-like. You have a different posture. Your nose wiggles a little when you sniff and . . . okay, who am I kidding? You only tied your bow over one ear." At his words the three of us all look at Blake's ears. From the way she is standing, we can only see her right side, so with a little movement we are able to get a small view of her other ear and are surprised to see that Blake would actually forget to tie her bow over BOTH ears.

"Like I said," Uncle Qrow continues, "There is no need to wear a bow around here anyway. This part of Patch is very anti-discriminatory, as is this family. Though, a word of advice: Take a trip into town with Yang sometime. It will help stop the several exes of hers from attempting to get back with her." I can see Yang lower her head out the corner of my eye. It's very unlike Yang to lower her head when her exes are mentioned. As a matter of fact, it usually has the complete opposite effect. Yang usually boasts about how many exes she has, and doesn't waste a moment to correct someone should they underestimate the amount of hearts she's broken.

I mean, there was that that time over the summer after her junior year at Signal. She was depressed over most of the summer vacation for some reason. She didn't want to leave the house or anything, and a friend of hers who had just graduated from Signal came by multiple times to check on her, but Yang didn't want to see her, no matter how many times she stopped by. I can't remember her name, but she was a really tall cheetah Faunus, taller than Yang even. I never went into a conversation with Yang on it. To be quite honest she was not the most approachable big sis that summer. It was the first time I felt like I couldn't talk to Yang about something.

"Ruby?" I hear Weiss whisper to me.

I shake my head hard, looking at my girlfriend who is sitting on the floor next to me, staring at me with a look of concern on her face.

"W-Whuh?" I look around, seeing that Uncle Qrow, Blake and Yang are all gone. "W-Where'd everyone go?" I ask, and Weiss begins to laugh at me.

"Wow, you spaced out pretty hard. Qrow, er . . . Mister Qrow went upstairs to sleep, as did Yang and Blake. On that note, where am I sleeping? I hear Blake has the attic room, and since your Uncle is here, he no doubt has taken whatever other room is available." Weiss questions, while also pretty much checking off all the options in my mind with her explanation.

_I didn't think of that! I mean . . . she could always- No, she'll dismiss that right away._

_Actually, maybe if I say- Nope . . . Weiss is stubborn. Oh well. I slept well the past two days, I can sacrifice a night._

"Well, you could sleep in my bed, Weiss. I have a spare I can use."

_If you can even call it a spare._

"That seems to be the best option as of now. Thank you, Ruby" I feel my cheeks redden when Weiss leans over and plants a kiss to my cheek, leaving me with a small case of the giggles. You'd think I'd be use to at least this, but honestly I am usually the one to steal the kiss, so for her to give me one without me asking is pretty rare, and it makes me love them even more!

"Not a problem! Now let's get upstairs. Someone knocked on the front door a few hours back and left bags there that had your name on it. I put them in my room since I didn't know where they should go." I say while I stand up and help Weiss to her feet as well.

"I see, that was probably Sebastian. I believe he was on the airship. If there's anything I need, he's the one I call." At her mention of Sebastian I see a smile cross her lips. Whoever he is, he is able to make Weiss smile effortlessly. I'm not so sure I like that.

"Oh? So, who is Sebastian? Old friend?" I ask while I begin walking towards the stairs with Weiss following,

"For formality's sake he is employee under my father, assigned as my butler. Although he goes far and beyond to do anything I need should I ask. He's been more of a dear friend than a butler, and I do my best to avoid overusing his services." Weiss explains to me while we climb to the top of the steps and make our way down the hall to my room. I open the door, but I don't hear Weiss' entering behind me. I turn around to see her standing in the doorway, looking at the wording at the top of my door.

"Summer's Little Rose? Ruby, aren't you more of an autumn lover?" Weiss asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

_Weiss . . . why'd you have to notice that?_

"Well, you see. It's not really referring to the season. Um" I try to find a way to explain without bringing tears to my eyes.

Too late.

I look at Weiss, her body becoming disfigured and blurry. I know she didn't know this would happen, but I get emotional every time I think about it. I look down and take a chopped inhale, also closing my eyes in an attempt to break my vision with Weiss.

"If there's too emotional of a meaning behind it, just shake your head next time, Dolt. I have my share of sensitive topics as well. Do you forget the type of family I have?" Weiss voice is close. I can guess she is right in front of me now, and that assumption is proven true when I feel one arm wrap around the back of my head, and the other around my upper back. "You don't need to explain everything to me. Some things will come out in due time."

_Weiss . . . I want to tell you. I have no problems telling you, it's just . . . my mind doesn't want to let me forget._

I wrap my arms tightly around Weiss, pressing my head against her chest. I find a soothing retreat in her heartbeat, absorbing the light pounding as a soothing melody. It's such a beautiful sound, and I just wish I could hear it louder. I move my head a bit, trying to get my ear in a better position, but Weiss assumes my actions to be a little more perverse.

"Don't use the moment to get yourself some free feels you sneaky dunce." The clear annoyance in her voice is noted, but she doesn't push me away, which I am grateful for.

"Sorry." I whisper with my cheek pressed to her left breast. Her arm unwraps from my head, and instead I feel her cold fingers trailing along my cheek after fighting away my hair.

"I climb up to the attic room to say goodnight to my girlfriend, and you two are already getting romantic in my sister's room." I hear Yang teasing, but Weiss as usual does not realize my sister is just joking around, and makes an attempt to clear things up.

"It's not like that Yang . . . It seems I made a mistake and asked about the text on Ruby's door." Weiss shifts a bit while she speaks, exposing my tear-stricken face to my sister. "It was a mistake, Yang . . . and I'd appreciate it if you would refrain from punching me until after I wake up,"

I rub my eyes, getting the tears away so I can look at my sister who is staring at Weiss with an unamused look.

"Sheesh, Ice Queen. I'm not that bad." Yang shrugs her shoulders." Anyway, are you two sharing a bed or something? If so, big sis disapproves immediately." Yang leans against the doorway, folding her arms while I gently pull myself from Weiss; hold to stand upright.

"No, sis. I was gonna-" I raise my arm to point to my closet with a blank look on my face. Yang gives me a sharp stare, and shakes her head with a loud huff.

"Really? I swear, Rubes . . . Weiss, what did she tell you?" Yang turns her eyes to my girlfriend, and I immediately lower my head, preparing for the scolding I will get when they finish clearing things up.

"She said I could sleep in her bed because there is a spare that she could use. I assume she meant that there is another mattress or something that she has used to sleep in before, but I doubt a mattress could fit in her closet." I can feel Weiss' cold stare piercing me at her last words.

"Nope, the only thing she has that would qualify as a spare bed is the sleeping bag she keeps in there."

_Why'd you need to say it like that, Yang?_

"What!?" Weiss shouts in surprise, and at the same time I can hear Yang's footsteps come closer, and the squeaking sound of my door closing behind her until it shuts completely. "If you think for one second I am going to sleep on a comfortable mattress while you sleep on the floor, then you are sadly mistaken. The couch downstairs is more than large enough for me. All I need is a"

"No!" I shout, lifting my head to look at Weiss, "This is your first time in my house . . . I want you to at least sleep in a bed. Even Yang wanted the same thing for Blake and slept on the couch two nights ago until we moved one of Yang's mattresses from her bed up to the attic." I flash a gaze over to Yang who immediately look down, and following that I look away. "I just want my girlfriend to sleep comfortably until we get a chance to compromise."

I hear twin huffs coming from the two of them. A heavy hand lands on my left shoulder, and a cold, gentle touch on my right.

"Fine, Rubes . . . Ice Queen can sleep in your room." Yang whispers.

"However, I will be taking the sleeping bag. You have proven you are a good hostess with that selfless attempt of yours, but I will not let my team leader, friend, and girlfriend be treated secondhand in her own home." Weiss whispers in continuation with Yang.

_I suppose this is as close as it will get . . . It's far better than Weiss sleeping on the couch. The two people I know who can sleep comfortably on that couch are Yang and Uncle Qrow_.

"Okay, but if I wake up early I want Weiss to move to my bed . . . no questions." I answer the two of them.

"That doesn't mean waking up at 3am, Rubes." Yang quickly counters me.

"Nor does it mean sneaking me onto your bed when you simply wake up for a mere bathroom break" Weiss also counters.

_Ugh! Why must they know me so well!_

"Hmph! Fine!" I pout. I look over towards my bed and make a quick hop towards it. I use my semblance to send me directly above my mattress, twisting my body so I land flat on my bed with my face buried into my pillow.

"She is such a pest." Weiss says to Yang, "Also, could you find the sleeping bag for me? I still need to change into my nightgown."

"Go on. I got it." Yang answers.

I hear the sound of a zipper opening up near me. I placed Weiss' two suitcases near the foot of my bed since I did not know where else they could go. When I hear the suitcase being closed and Weiss' footsteps growing fainter, I lift my head up and shout just loud enough for her to hear.

"Door on the right after the staircase, just past Yang's room."

"Thanks." Weiss answers as she continue walking. I continue to listen, waiting to hear the distinct sound of the bathroom door shutting. Compared to the rest of the doors in the house, for some reason the bathroom door has a more 'hollow' echo to it, so I always know when someone is going in or out of the bathroom based on that.

"Alright, Rubes. Why the hardcore pouts?" I lift my head again to look at Yang who is unrolling a 6-foot sleeping bag at my bedside.

It's a crimson sleeping bag and it is a bit loose around me, even when I zip it up. Now that I think about it the bed will be perfect for Weiss. She sleeps with a very light blanket to avoid using anything heavier since she tends to like the colder breeze. Even the outfits she wears are pretty light and nearly paper-thin. She even has this very pretty bolero jacket that she can put over her usual dress, but it is very light as well.

"I just want Weiss to like the house, Yang. So she'd want to come by again, y'know?"

"Sis, she isn't coming here for the house. She's coming here for you. I'm sure Ice Queen has some fancy ass property somewhere in Vale that she could have gone to spend her vacation in, or even invite the rest of us to spend the vacation over there with her. _BUT_, she came here and you know why?" Yang smiles, looking up at me with her lilac eyes.

"Why?" I ask, biting on her question.

"Because that fancy Ice House of hers doesn't have Ruby Rose." Yang states proudly, causing a smile to cross my lips.

"Thanks, Sis." I reach out, bringing my upper body off of the bed and hugging Yang, relying on her to not let me fall.

"Psh, thanking me for what? I'm just the beautiful, attractive, jaw dropping interpreter." Yang gloats and stands up, carrying my hanging upper half back over to the bed before prying my arms off of her and letting me drop.

"Oomph! And modest!"

"Extremely modest! I didn't even go into how much of a sexy piece of-"

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaang!"

"Fine, fine . . . I'm still the most wanted girl in Patch, and Beacon."

"For multiple accounts of assault." I state bluntly.

"What? Me? Assault someone? I would never!" Yang does her best to act shocked and surprised, even adding a fake gasp to it all that makes me shake my head.

"Goodnight, Yang." I shake my head, giggling at her terrible acting while she walks out the room and waves.

"Night, Sis. I better not hear either of you two fuc-"

"YAAAAAAAAANG!"

"Alright, alright. Sleep tight." She says while closing the door.

_Sheesh. Weiss and I wouldn't do that. It was that one time, and you helped provoke it, dummy!_

I take a moment to climb off my bed to pull my blanket out from underneath me before hopping back in and covering myself. Weiss is taking a bit longer than I expected, but she is probably going to sleep the moment she comes in, so I might as well not get my hopes of having a little more chatting time with her. I close my eyes, facing away from the door, thinking of where exactly to bring Weiss in the forest tomorrow.

_Well, if I take her to the baby waterfall, and follow the creek downstream, then we may end up at the lake. That may be nice. Upstream also has a very pretty opening and a little grassland, that would make for a perfect picnic spot._

I think of every possible place I know inside the beautiful, yet Grim-infested forest. Ultimately I decide that the picnic spot may be better, even if we do not eat since there are most likely not as much Grim over there as compared to the lake. I have no idea how long I have been lost in my decision making, but suddenly I feel my bed sink behind me a bit. I peek over my shoulder, eyes going wide when two pale hands grab my cheeks and Weiss's lips press to mine, although only for a few seconds.

"That's for being sweet enough to volunteer yourself a sleeping bag and leaving me a bed . . . but never do that again." Weiss smiles at me and slides off the bed to climb into the sleeping bag. I roll to the edge of my bed and look at her, a portion of my conversation with Yang popping into my head.

_I wonder if she really does have a house in Vale._

"Weiss, how many rooms does your house in Vale have?" I ask with an extra sweetness to my words.

"Two bedrooms with two beds in each, a bathroom in each bedroom, a big shower room, a living room, a kitchen and ummm . . . I think there's a dining room." She says after thinking on it.

_Wow . . . Good guess, Yang._

"Wait, how'd you know I have a house in Vale?" Her eyes look at me in realization. I should have thought this through a little more.

"Well ummm . . . lucky guess?"

"Such a liar. I don't use it since I am very happy dorming it with the three of you. I haven't had reason to use it, and have an account building up interest since I never used the money to refurbish the place." Weiss shrugs her shoulders and seems to find a comfortable position in the sleeping bag pretty quickly.

"Could you show it to me sometime?" I ask, laying my head on my pillow, but still able to see Weiss.

"Last day of the winter break we can spend the night there. How's that sound?" Weiss asks, smiling at me.

"Sounds great!" I answer, closing my eyes to sleep.

"Also," Weiss starts, making me open my eyes to look at her, "Halfway through the break . . . hopefully I would have already met your dad by then . . . I want you to come with me to my home and meet my parents."

_Her parents!?_

"But Weiss . . . What about all those things about your parents not approving, the press eating you alive, and all the other stuff?"

"I've said this to you a few times, Ruby. I am not ashamed of our relationship, nor am I making attempts to hide it. I want you to meet my parents and let them take it as they will . . . if my father gets angry, I suppose it can be looked at as a bonus . . . the man annoys me."

_Weiss . . . you're too rebellious for you own good . . . I thought my Winter break was going to be relaxing._


	46. Weiss and Qrow's Quality Meeting

**_C_**ouldn't think of a creative name for the chapter xD Oh well!

This chapter was pretty fun to write as I was able to develop my AU Qrow. I hope you guys all enjoy.

It is nearly 4AM as I send this out, and will probably be my chapter for the day.

As always, please review, especially when I am developing a character far out of canon (even though canon Qrow is only existent in name xD)

* * *

**_POV: WEISS SCHNEE_**

**_Chapter 46 – Weiss and Qrow's Quality Meeting._**

I wake up early in the morning. Out of habit I've always woken up at about 6AM, and I go under the assumption that it is no different today. I am usually the second person awake, Yang being the first. I look to my right at Ruby's bed. I can't see her from this angle, but I am more than certain she is awake. To my left I can see her room door completely shut, but there is a dim light underneath the doorway, pretty far down the hall.

_Awake as usual, Yang? Wouldn't be surprised._

I place my palms at my sides, carefully pushing myself up from the unzipped sleeping bag before a sharp pain shoots up my back, along with several sharp cracks. I close my eyes tight, fighting to get myself into a complete upright sitting position.

_And Ruby actually volunteered to sleep in this thing? My god she's a trooper._

I clench my teeth as I turn around to replant my hands on the floor and climb to my feet. The agonizing pain in my back not giving in even when I make it completely upright. Each step I take sends a brief pain along my lower back. I begin walking towards the door, looking over my shoulder to see Ruby still fast asleep with her lips parted and making slightly audible breathes. Her hair is slightly messy, possibly from tossing and turning during the night, but her bedhead is sort of cute in a way. I guess when you treasure someone enough you end up finding a positive thing in anything and everything about them.

_Sleep tight, Ruby. I'm gonna try to get the kinks out of my back._

I let out a mild sigh, opening her room door and carefully closing it, holding the knob turned to avoid the clicking sound the door would make otherwise while it is being closed. The light I saw from underneath the doorway earlier was indeed coming from one of the bedrooms, but surprisingly it was not Yang's, and instead was the other bedroom that Mister Qrow was most likely staying in. I walk up to the door and peek inside, my eyes widening in surprise to the spectacle. Yang was inside doing pushups, wearing her usual sports bra and tight gym shorts, but what surprises me is the fact that she is doing pushups in sync with Mister Qrow.

Now, that may not sound too impressive, but it becomes extremely impressive when she is balanced with her toes on Qrow's calves, and her hands on his shoulder blades. She was doing pushups on top of him while he was doing pushups with the added weight of Yang, along with the added force of her pushing down on his back to do her own pushups.

Mister Qrow was in a a leather jacket that covered his entire physique yesterday, but right now he is in a black muscle shirt, and basketball shorts, matching the black and gold colors of what Yang wears. His arms and legs are both slender, yet every inch of his limbs are anything but straight. There's a curve along every part of them, whether they be concave, or convex. He is 10 times fitter than Yang, perhaps even 20. I stand quietly in the doorway, watching each of his pushups with Yang beginning to slow down. I have no idea how long they have been at it, but soon enough Yang's body is shaking and she collapses onto him, and he continues without a delay in his rhythm.

For the first time ever I see Yang being completely outdone in both muscle and endurance. Mister Qrow continues his pushups for well over five minutes until it appears he grows bored and moves to a knee with Yang still draped over his back. He carefully reaches behind him to grab the back of Yang's thighs, and in a graceful motion he shifts to a complete upright position. His grip on Yang's thighs allowing him to piggyback his niece while she places her spaghetti-weight arms on his shoulders. His back is still towards me, but I get a slight startle when I hear him speak with a cheerfulness in his voice that is very similar to Yang.

"I'm the one who trained Yang, Y'know . . . At least when it came to muscle and endurance training."

He turns around, and for the first time I recognize a small bracelet on his right wrist, and an identical one on Yang's. On Yang's I can make out a percentage. On hers it reads 50%, and on Mister Qrow's it reads only 5%. Yang is on his back, completely exhausted, and eventually she begins to snore. I am amazed for a second time. Yang Xiao Long has just been through a workout that left her sleeping. My jaw drops at the sight, and he only laughs at my amazed expression.

"Um, what is that thing on your wrist? I saw it on Yang's too." I ask in curiosity.

"Oh, these?" He raises his wrist to me to show off the device. "It is meant to restrict the amount of aura one can access out of themselves. It acts like a dam, allowing only the amount that passes over the top to go through. So once you reach the amount of aura numbered on this, then well . . . it's like you don't have any left."

_Wait, so are you telling me that he outdid Yang without wasting even 5% of his aura!? That's . . . terrifying._

"So . . . h-how's Yang? Did you leave the bracelet on her?"

"Nope. She'll be awake in about an hour. She's one hell of a trooper. She's a thrill seeker . . . just like my sister – her mother."

Mister Qrow begins walking by me, over to Yang's room and comes out shortly later while rotating his arms, most likely to relieve the tension in them from his workout.

"I hear my niece – other niece – Ruby is pretty protective of you."

_Damnit Yang!_

"I suppose for a lack of better words, yes she is. It worries me that she does not believe in my own ability." I sigh, remembering the several times Ruby has gone above and beyond to 'protect' me. It was protection in its own right, but at the same time it always found a way to make me feel inferior. Like I will never be able to match her level of skill and compassion, and will be a burden in the future.

My depressing thoughts are interrupted by a healthy laugh from Mister Qrow who shakes his head and holds his hand up in a rather dismissive manner. His laughing makes his eyes squint, and shows the very minor signs of crow's feet – or rather Qrow's Feet (damnit Yang!) – Along the outer parts of his eyes, displaying his age despite the rest of his youthful appearance. Mister Qrow is the most physically fit person I have ever seen, and to think he is only a former Hunter and current school teacher at a weapon specializing school is far beyond my thoughts as to how he is able to stay like this.

"Sorry for laughing," He says while still chuckling and shaking his head. He places his hands on his hips and looks down towards the floor a moment before looking back up at me with the same warm smile he displayed last night. "Believe me, she's not doing it on purpose. She used to act like that with me, Tai, and even Yang once she was able to get her hands on a completed Crescent Rose. It's part of her personality, really. She wants to protect everyone she holds dear. She told herself that she wouldn't dwell on the past, and will instead make sure her future with the people she cares for is set in stone."

I listen intently, watching as Mister Qrow tilts his head and points behind me towards Ruby's door. I look over my shoulder, expecting there to be something else, but in fact he is pointing to her door, and begins to explain something I never knew.

"Summer's Little Rose," He begins, his enthusiasm wavering for a split second, yet he still has an incomparable optimism in his voice, "That's the one sign that proves she still dwells on the past. When I see her take that down, I will know she is ready to face the world and all the difficulties it brings."

I turn my head to look back at Mister Qrow, confusion written in my body language as well as on my face, yet it seems to only make him laugh again.

"I'm sorry, I digress. You see, Summer is actually the name of Ruby's mother." The smile on his face disappear and a more serious look takes its place, with a very slight display of sorrow in his eyes. "Ruby lost her mother while Summer was on her last mission. Ruby blames herself for some reason. She was very young at the time, but well . . . kids are kids I suppose. Something as drastic as that and they don't know what to think. Ruby was never one to blame the world, or think the world to hate her. Summer raised her far better than that. My niece couldn't hate anything except the things or people that hurt those she cares for. The only thing my niece hates are the creatures of Grim. She won't hesitate to kill them. I'm sure you've seen how efficient she is at it. She lost the most precious person in her life. All she is doing with you is making sure it never happens again. Deep down she knows just how efficient you are, and I can tell you have amazing combat prowess, but at the same time, with her being a child at the time, I suppose she thought her mother to be invincible. I mean, Summer was the definition of a super mom, even going as far as to treating Yang as her own. Unfortunately, this world is a cruel place, and the nicest people are not always the ones that get a neat and tidy ending."

_So, when I asked Ruby about that . . ._

"I . . . I really don't know what to say. I can't say I know how it feels. I truly don't. Needless to say I hate my father's guts. I hate the White Fang with a passion for what they've done to my grandfather's company. I hate my last name and the attention it brings. I want to change everything about myself and my life. I always thought I had it rough. I mean, as an heiress in everyone else's eyes I am sure that they just see a spoiled rich girl . . . which I suppose I am, but there is far more to it. I've gotten everything I could ever ask for and hated it. Ruby has gotten everything she has taken away from her, but can still smile like she does. I live in the shadow of my parents, and get swallowed deeper inside the harder I try to get out, and"

I look down, taking a soft breath. Mister Qrow decides to finish my thought with perfect accuracy.

"And Ruby leaves the shadow of her mother the more she tries to be just like her."

There's a long silence between us. To the point that I can hear that light ringing in my ear whenever there is not another thing to be heard.

"Anyway, how about you and I go out back? I'm curious to see what your semblance is. Whatever it is, I can tell you've been training to use it in various ways. There's a strain on your body that flaunts that." He nods his head.

"Actually . . . I slept in Ruby's sleeping bag last night . . . that may be the strain you see . . . I can't arc my back at all." I answer, trying to lean backwards but a sharp pain telling me not to.

"Hm . . . Yang has always been good with massages. She may be a brawler, but her semblance makes her ideal for dealing with muscle aches. It's part of the reason she can heal so quickly. Has she ever offered to help you out with any pains?"

"No," I pause, recalling the time she deadened my arm, "Actually, she did, but I refused out of stubbornness and anger."

"I see, well this time I recommend you don't. Anyway, how about we go downstairs? I can cook up some eggs to at least hold you over until Ruby or Yang get up. Those two are the real cooks around here." He begins walking by me, motioning me to follow while shaking his head to let his hair settle naturally, though it still had a messy look to it. I follow behind him towards the stairs, and after he takes one step down he pauses.

"There's one thing I forgot to tell you, Weiss." He says without turning around. His voice is much slower and more monotone than earlier. The sound of something shattering echoes in my ear, and immediately my eyes are drawn to his wrist to see the bracelet he was wearing simply dissolve into the air. There's a powerful aura nearby, but I can't see it, feel it, or even tell where it is coming from.

_Is this him?_

He looks over his shoulder, his dark hair complimenting the terrifying look in his eye that pierces my very existence. I can see my fear filled expression in his pupil The soft, red-eyes that are similar to Yang now being exposed as something far more demonic.

"This is just a formality, because I am sure you won't . . . but if you break my niece's heart . . ."

My eyes widen as I spot his aura for the first time, although it could hardly be seen as aura. I watch as red streaks become faintly visible around him. If I did not know better I would simply call it lightning. As seconds go by the red becomes outlined by a pitch-black color, and my body freezes completely in place. I can't shiver, I can't breathe. I feel as though I am trapped within an air-tight casing that cannot be broken. Yang has given me death glares before, even terrified me with the showcase of her power, but all of that pales to what I feel now. I want to scream and cry. I feel as though my life is in danger, or rather that it is seconds away from being taken from me. I almost forget that he was speaking to me on something, at least until he opens his mouth to talk.

". . . I won't hesitate to kill you."

I part my lips and try to gasp for air after his words. I can't breathe at all. My body still is not responsive to me, and I can't tear my eyes away from his gaze. I am stuck in a spider's web with nowhere to go, at least until Mister Qrow slaps my back gently enough to not hurt me, but get me out of my trance and I take a sharp breath of air in return.

"Sorry about that. Like I said, just a formality. Hope you don't get too scared of me now." He says so casually while walking down the steps and going towards the kitchen, "I'll get the eggs done, come down when you can."

It takes me over ten minutes to be get myself downstairs. My body has finally stopped shaking, but only after I realized something. His threat is no different from Yang's, and I didn't fear Yang's because I don't plan on hurting Ruby, so for that same reason I have no reason to fear their uncle. I walk into the kitchen, watching as Mister Qrow is just finishing using the gasoline powered stove and served a plate of scrambled eggs. Onto the round, glass table on the opposite side of the kitchen, away from the stove, sink, and pantry which are all against the same wall as one unit. The pantry is made of solid wood, stained to adapt a darker color and remain water resistant. The stove has a white countertop while the rest of it is black, including the grates that are placed over each of the burners.

"I salted your eggs and all that fancy stuff. Like I said, just enough for you to hold over until the real chefs get up." He says, motioning me to the table I already noticed. "I'm telling you, those two cook amazing food at home, but I think I will be able to cook better than them one day. I'm sure I will, actually."

I listen as he boasts about his growing cooking skills. I sit down at the table, pulling the plate of scrambled eggs closer to me. I grab the nearby metal fork and scoop up some of the fluffy, yellow delight. I haven't had scrambled eggs in a while, and can't wait to see how a talented huntsman who is as skilled as Mister Qrow can also find time to learn how to cook, I am far beyond impressed at this point, even though it is an extremely trivial dish.

I take a bite out of the eggs, my eyes widening at their taste. I drop my fork, unable to keep my body under my control. My expectations are completely shattered with my first bite. I never thought it was possible, but now I am truly, undoubtably, and indisputably shocked. I keep my thoughts to myself as I look over to Mister Qrow who is blending several raw eggs for his own protein drink. A man of many talents is exactly what he is, although there is something I never accounted for.

_These eggs are the worst things I've ever eaten in my entire life!_

* * *

Hope this chapter came out good in your opinions!

As always, please review, follow, and whatever else you guys do.

I'd also like if you follow me as an author, and not just this story, only because I plan on doing a break off of this story at some point that will explain the past of Neo and Cinder, and I would like for you guys to catch it in an email rather than me spam this story about another story . . . that's just bad xD


	47. Loving Miscommunications

**_POV: BLAKE BELLADONNA_**

**_Chapter 47 – Loving Miscommunications_**

I've been sleeping soundly throughout the entire night. A random event waking me up once, but since then I have been having a perfect night's rest so to speak. That is until a certain blonde brawler wakes me up once more.

"Yang, stop moving . . . I'm comfortable." I hiss underneath my breath.

Yang is laying behind me in minimal clothing – the boyshorts she teased me with one day that had the words 'EAT ME' highlighted in yellow, and no bra. If I did not scold her it most certainly would have been less. We are in the attic at the moment: the place I requested to have my bed, and mainly for two reasons. Reason 1: The attic is very roomy, and I enjoy being in a spacious environment. Reason 2: It's the highest place in the house and also has a window that I can use to get on the roof.

The attic is the size of the entire second floor of the house. It's made of pure wood for the interior, with several pillars perfectly spaced and aligned equal distance from each other. Unfortunately I can't say that the entire attic is free for my use. Half of the attic has a gigantic workstation setup. Any object known to man that can be used to create or destroy is here. Sitting above the start to that half of the area is a sign that reads '_RUBY'S WORKSPACE'_.

I knew Little Red was a big weapon nut, but this is by far as crazy as they come. With the amount of material and equipment she has here, I would not be surprised to see her make a second Crescent Rose, or possibly something larger than her already oversized Sniper-scythe. The bed I am laying in – along with Yang – is set to the side of the room, away from the only window in the attic.

There are only two ways into the attic. One of them is of course the window – my favored entrance that Yang refuses to let me use at my leisure – and the pull down ladder down in the second floor hallway. Anyone who is standing in front of Yang's room can see a small string with a weight on it hanging off the ceiling. Simply pulling that string with enough force will force a portion of the wall to swing down with a ladder etched into it to climb up into the attic. The hidden entryway also has a counterweight on it, so when nobody is pulling the ladder down, or if someone is already off of the ladder, then it will close by itself without a problem.

"Sorry Kittycat, but I need to get up. I'm getting restless." Yang says while planting several kisses along my neck, stopping once a shiver erupts through my body, leaving her satisfied at my body's reaction.

"I don't understand. You told me that sleeping bag of Ruby's is a deathtrap only Ruby can sleep in. If you were going to sleep up here with me from the very beginning, then why not let one of those two sleep in your room? Especially if you weren't going to sleep-in. It's what? Not even 5AM in the damn morning? I wanted to sleep until, I dunno . . . noon maybe?" I peek over my right shoulder, looking at Yang and her slightly messy mane.

"Oh come on! Don't tell me you wasn't happy when I came up here and snuggled up on you." She has her leg hooked over my waist, and her arms clenching my torso. I'm held tightly against her form with nowhere to go.

"I was . . . I was expecting to get a comfortable sleep since my super heater finally decided to do her job." I keep my voice monotone and blunt. I still look over my shoulder at Yang, who doesn't appear to be even slightly disheartened at my words.

"Is that the honest truth?" She asks, inching herself up in the bed to be able to press the back of my head against the very top of her bust.

Something about her tone when she asked that was off. I feel like whichever way I answer this question will put me into a trap, but I can outsmart Yang in every situation. I will boast that to the heavens.

**_There is not a situation Yang can put me in that I cannot outsmart or 'out mindgame' her in._**

"Yes, Yang. That's the truth, now if you are going to go burn off your excess energy, you may as well go now so I can get back to sleep before the sun begins to peek into the attic." I rest my head on the pillow, purring as my left ear is tickled by the soft, fluffy material. Wait, I can feel the pillow with my ear? It then dawns on me that after speaking with Qrow, I felt the need, or rather to show a form of courtesy and leave my bow off while around the house. This is Yang's family after all, so I wish to prove there is nothing I plan on hiding . . . to a certain extent at least.

_Wait, I don't have my bow on . . . and Yang is-_

I try to lean forward to bring my head away from Yang, but my realization of the situation is far too late. Her lips and teeth already have a firm hold on the tip of my ear, sending shivers throughout my body from her attack.

_Not again . . . think Blake . . . I'll be fine as long as she doesn't-_

My eyes shut tight and I begin to push myself against Yang out of reflex. My body searching for something to brace myself against, and Yang being the closest thing to me turned her into that object I can use. I push myself firmly against her, trying to use my lower body to push her away while I struggle to get my head – and more importantly, my ears – away from her. Her left hand is caressing my other ear, not letting up on her assault even in the slightest. Her right arm moves from my torso to above my breasts to pull me back towards her without so much as an ounce of effort from her.

"Don't act like you're not enjoying this, Kittycat." Her voice reeks of confidence and comfort. I am in an element that Yang thrives in, and I made the mistake of forgetting that I am also in her own house. She is in her own comfort zone, and there isn't much else I can do about it.

"If you just admitted that you were happy with me sleeping next to you . . . this could have been avoided." Her left hand continues to torture my ear, alternating between tickling the furry tip of my Faunus accessory, and caressing the edges of my entire ear until it begins to flutter and fight her gentle touch.

The first time she ever took the chance to abuse the sensitivity of my ears was when we had our first kiss . . . along with the exchange of milk. Yang believes that having my ear touched is just extremely pleasurable, but it also paralyzes me to an extent. It's something I assume all Faunus deal with, but as a cat Faunus perhaps it has an enhanced feeling for me?

I'm glad Yang has slowed her assault, it lets me catch my breath and open my eyes to see what is going on around me. When I look down I notice her arm is no longer holding my upper body towards her, in fact I feel uneasy not knowing where her arm is.

There's a sharp relief in pressure all over my body, and a cool breeze greets my body that is decorated with many faint beads of sweat, making the breeze feel that much colder. I look down at my Yukata, seeing the sash I use to keep it closed has been removed, and my torso is completely exposed now, along with my stomach and waist. If not for my midnight colored bra and panties, there would be far more exposed right now.

"Yang . . . I don't appreciate-" Her right hand swings up swiftly, pressing right to my lips. I look over my shoulder at her again, but instead of finding her lilac eyes, all I see are her eyelids shielding them.

_Why isn't she even looking at me?_

Her hand moves from my lips and slides back down towards my yukata. Her fingers grabbing the opened outfit and moving whatever she can out of the way, exposing my right side completely. I jump when her hand rests on the concave curve of my hip, and her warm breath brushes over my right ear as she whispers to me once again.

"You love it, Blake. Otherwise you would have clawed my face off already. Now, are you going to admit you were happy with me sleeping with you? Or can I keep having my fun?"

_All this because I told her I wasn't happy with her laying with me!? What kind of stubborn girl is she?_

She is still holding onto my ear, giving it a soft rubbing with her thumb every few seconds. I've adapted slightly to it, but it is still far too enjoyable for comfort. I look at her once again, hoping to flash her my perfected death glare, but still her eyes are closed. I part my lips to speak, and in the same instant, even before my lips part she leans forward and catches me in a quick kiss. Despite how swift it was, she finds time to bring her tongue to mine in a temporary embrace before she retreats, leaving me in a mix of pleasure, confusion, and happiness.

"You were giving me that death glare, weren't you?" She asks, a smile crossing her lips, but her eyes still closed. I get startled when there is a gentle touch on my stomach, the kind of touch that makes someone suck in their stomach before checking what is going on. When I look down I spot Yang's hand trailing down towards my waistline.

_She's bluffing._

I tell myself, but that thought is thrown out the window when those trailing fingers pull the elastic of my panties away from my flesh to make room for them to slide until her wrist is pressing against my waistline, and her fingers are all underneath the fabric.

_Yang, we're in your attic!_

"Y-Y-Yang." I whisper, amazed that I am actually stuttering.

_Why am I stuttering? Am I nervous? W-why would I be nervous? It's not like she's really going through with this . . ._

"S-st-stop it" I whisper after gathering my thoughts, but I am completely ignored. Her palm presses to my right thigh, and her fingers begin to dance along my cooled flesh. She completely passed by my sex, which I assumed to be her goal, but it seems Yang is playing a mind game of her own with me.

"I stayed up all night looking at those pretty ears of yours, Blake. Do you have any idea how hard it is to NOT please myself with the sexiest girl in the world cuddled up with me?" Yang's voice is its normal, optimistic tone, but there is a slight frustration to it.

Finally, it dawns on me that if Yang was awake all night, and she said earlier that she needs to get up because she is getting restless . . . then that means she's been like that all night.

"S-so . . . what are you ac-oooo-accomplish . . . ing with this?" I ask, fighting to keep myself quiet as Yang goes back to caressing my left ear at a bit of a faster pace.

"Nothing at all. I just want you to say you were happy I slept with you." Again she says it in such a way that I feel as though my next answer will put me in a trap. I suppose with this situation there is no helping it. Yang beat me at my own game for once.

"Fine, Yang . . . I am happy you slept with me. Is that better?"

"Nope, changed my mind. I want you to say you love me in a passionate, erotic way instead . . . Yup! That sounds perfect." She begins to giggle, but I can't find any amusement in the situation. In fact I am rather annoyed to say the least.

"Yang Xiao Long, if you know what's good for you, then you will – Ooooo."

A weakness goes through my body. A feeling I have not experienced in a while, except during some of my quiet nights with my romance novels. My right hand begins to shoot down to grab Yang's arm, but another movement of hers makes my arm go weak. I can hear satisfied giggles from Yang while my breathing turns into audible pants, and my movements cease to fight her.

"Not going too deep, am I Blakey?" Yang taunts as one of her fingers twists inside me. This is the first time Yang has ever gone this far with me, but I can't complain about it at all. She's been patient with me enough that I suppose I won't mind if she wants to push things a little further. I mean, Ruby and Weiss were only dating for a week when they first went at it . . . although Weiss was a bit tipsy . . . and Ruby has been wanting to do things to Weiss since who knows how long.

"Two . . ." I murmur, hiding my face from her gaze.

"Too deep?" Yang whispers with a bit of concern in her voice. She chooses the wrong times to misunderstand me, I swear.

"Two fingers . . ." I clarify, looking over my shoulders to see her eyes are closed still, and this time I make a note of it, ". . . and why are your eyes closed?"

A smile crosses her lips, and for the first time since last night she opens her eyes slowly, exposing her beautiful lilac eyes to me. There is a slight difference in them, and as they open completely I realize that Yang was not joking when she said she did not get an ounce of sleep. Surrounding the lilac color is a bloodshot texture that shows the fatigue in her body. I reach behind me with my right hand to caress her cheek, and upon contact she shakes her head and begins to slide her second finger into me.

Her fingers are much larger than my own, and in turn I part my lips, letting out brief squeaks that begin to grow louder. Yang, realizing that I may not be able to remain silent for much longer, decides to bring her left hand from my ear to over my lips to help muffle my moans that become more audible with each thrust of her fingers. With her fingers moving as slow and rhythmic as they are, I can't find do anything but scoot away from her very slightly and try to shift onto my back. It takes Yang a moment to realize what I am doing, but she moves away to give me enough room to lay flat on the bed and look at her bloodshot eyes.

"Are my eyes bloodshot? Just nod or shake." She asks, smiling at me when I nod. Somehow she is able to speak to me so casually while she continue such lewd actions, along with me moaning every other second.

My juices are flowing actively along the two digits. I have not told Yang this, and perhaps I should have when we started to go out, or perhaps the first time we kisses, but I have no sexual experience at all aside from self-experimentation. Yang is by all means being the first person to stick anything into me and normally I would be against it, but I feel this is right. I want Yang to continue, and for that reason I have not uttered Yang's name. Perhaps I am hurting her with each passing second, but all I see is an unhappy ending should I whisper the name of the woman tending to me with such intimate and delicate gestures. Yang has only kept her fingers going up to her first or second knuckles, and perhaps she is aware that I am a virgin, or she is just not pressing her luck.

I continue moaning into the palm of her hand, a smile crossing her lips with each sound that exits my covered lips. I expect her to amp things up to the next level, and I am not disappointed with my expectation at all. In fact, she adapts a simple trick and curls her fingers, finding the most sensitive spot inside me with pinpoint accuracy. In response my back arches, sending my lower back and part of my ass off of the mattress.

It is then that I am reminded that Yang is still naturally aggressive. Her palm presses down on my pelvis while her fingers remain inside me and she forces me to lay flat on the mattress with an audible thud.

"Blake . . . there's something I need to tell you." I feel Yang press herself to my side, bringing her lips close to my ear once more, but not teasing it as she has been for who knows how long. She moves her hand from my lips, and instead turns my head to press my lips to her breasts and shoulder as an alternative way to muffle myself, although I think she just wants my lips against her.

"Blake, I it took me countless times to ask you out. As a matter of fact I thought of giving up several times. I saw your beautiful eyes in my dreams every night after you turned me down . . . just as I can see your eyes now despite it being pitch black."

_That's right . . . she can't see_

"You thought I only wanted you for your body, and maybe what I am doing right now is not helping erase those thoughts, but after laying next to you tonight, unable to sleep . . . I realized something."

I can feel Yang's heartbeat against my lips. From the calm, relaxed pace it becomes a rapid pounding that brings a mild worry to my lips. I've been struggling to listen to her words. Between the lewd noises of her pistoning fingers making my virgin hole drip and coat my temporary bedding (as well as her fingers and my thighs), the simplistic sounds leaving my lips, and the lack of the mental power to understand each of her words, it is taking me much more effort – as well as time – to register what she is saying. I am becoming anxious, waiting for her to finish her sentence in fear that she may be ready to reject me now that she possibly has my cherry literally at the tip of her fingers.

"Blake, I'm far too attached to you to ever let you go. Putting it bluntly . . . I'm a lost puppy and want nothing more than to show my affections to you . . . although I am not much of the romantic type, aside from in the bedroom. My greatest way of showing my love is by what I am doing now, but there is something I won't do until you are completely certain you want to be with me . . . because I made the same mistake when I was younger."

I feel my heart shatter when she leans down and presses her lips to my temple. I pull my lips from her breast to whisper to her, but she curls her fingers tighter than they already were, grating them over my g-spot and bringing my lips back against her flesh to silence myself.

"I'm not done, Blake. This is my turn to talk . . . and your time to just listen, kay?" she asks with honey in her last word. Her fingers relax their pressure and go back to their slow movements to keep me stimulated and dripping, inching me closer to a peak that is still a ways down with the pace she is using. I nod my head before she curls her fingers again and do my best to listen. Yang has never silenced me like this before, and even though I dislike not getting my voice heard, I remain quiet and pull myself closer to her warm body.

"If I need to wait years before I can get further than this I will. If it takes a decade for you to know I am not leaving your side, so be it. I'm talented in the bedroom, which is what most guys care about. I'm a sports lover, which most guys love. I'm one of the best looking girls there is, and yes that is super arrogant of me, but I am certain it is true. But I don't want a guy. I want my Kittycat."

Her fingers curl to my g-spot once again, forcing me to reach around to her back and scratch at it out of reflex from the need to hold onto something.

"I want you to scold me for being a perverted blonde."

Her fingers brush through my hair, playing with my silky black strands.

"I want to look into your eyes and get lost in them like I always do, even in my sleep."

Her fingers slow down, but still make long strokes over the sensitive flesh inside me.

"What I am saying Blake . . . is you're the only person for me . . . and I won't let her convince you otherwise."

_Her? Yang, just what are you hiding from me?_

I slowly pull my lips from her breast in hopes of getting my words across this time, but I experience the same result, followed by a relentless assault from her fingers. I didn't think she could push into a new gear like this with such a small movement, but as Yang said herself, she is a talent in the bedroom.

Within seconds my body is spasming, and her hand on the back of my head pulls me tighter to her to make sure I do not yell loud enough for it to leave the attic. My inner walls tighten around her fingers, trapping them inside me while my screams become near impossible to hold in. Out of fear of being heard I part my lips and do my best to bite gently into the top of Yang's left breast. I forget where I am for the time, losing track of the passing seconds, along with losing the presence of Yang's body next to me, and not realizing it until her magical fingers make their final move.

I feel her fingers leave my body, along with her hand to the back of my head. My pants for air are filled with her name in each breath. I don't feel her near me anymore after I spaced out from my orgasm, and my whispers of her name are more subconscious than anything. I need her near me.

"I'm here, Blake." Her voice is to the other side of me. I turn my head to see her kneeling at the side of the bed with a look of concern on her face.

"Yang . . . w-why now?"

"Because it's the only way I really know how to get my strongest feelings across. I don't know how a date should go. I don't know what to buy you to make you smile. I want to learn it all, but I just don't know how. I wan-" I shake my head, placing my finger to her lips which makes her stop immediately.

"The real reason . . . tell me." I whisper to her, sliding my weak form to the edge of the bed, closer to my kneeling blonde.

"That is the real reason, Blake . . . that and someone not worth mentioning has me worried for what she may do when she finds out who my current girlfriend is . . . I just don't want you to think I have any interest in her at all." The look in Yang's eye is truly that of a lost puppy, but there is some things about everything that just happened that I do not understand.

"Is she the one that took your cherry?" I ask, earning a nod from Yang.

"She made it sound like she wants you back?" I ask again, and again I get a nod.

"So why not just tell me, Yang . . . what is it that you're hiding from me?" My voice goes slightly towards anger without me realizing it, and the visible wince from Yang makes me realize that.

"She's a Faunus . . . a cheetah Faunus . . . and I was worried that you'd think I went with you since you're a Faunus too and remind me of her."

_Makes some sense . . . but still._

"Why would I worry about that if you dumped her like everybody else who has slept with you?" I move to my side, reaching out to touch Yang's cheek, letting her know I am not angry.

"Because I wasn't the one to end the relationship." Yang turns her head away and sighs. I understand where she is coming from now, but she is still a dumb blonde for thinking doing something like this would prove much. Not that I am complaining.

"So, you pretty much sex me up as a bribe for me to stay with you?" I know that's not the case, but putting the situation in a bad light is probably the easiest way for her to confess everything in hopes of clearing the situation up.

"No . . . I . . . I don't know why I did it Blake! It just felt right. I can't go a moment without thinking of you, and . . . you not saying you were happy with me spending the night with you, then I just . . ."

"Thought of an instant way to make me take that back?" I raise an eyebrow.

". . . I'm an idiot."

"Yes, a big idiot."

"Blake, I-"

"Because you thought because I didn't admit it, that I did not enjoy your company. You should know me better than that you idiot. As for this mystery woman . . . We are going into town today, but not together. I will follow you, and I will see who she is for myself." Yang raises her head to argue, but I am furious at her for thinking so little of me, and I take out that anger with a loud hiss that makes her jump back in shock. "That's final. As for what happened . . . Next time make sure you through with it all. It's embarrassing that the first person to even touch me down there didn't go all the way."

"Wait, so I'm-"

"Yes, Yang. You're my first, well, not completely since I'm still a virgin. Now, do me a favor and burn whatever energy you have and get to sleep? When you wake up we go to town . . . no excuses. I'm curious to meet the Faunus who conquered the conqueror of hearts herself."

"I'm sorry . . ."

"For?"

"Not telling you about what happened yesterday." Her words make me sigh, and I suppose I should be honest with my thoughts.

"To be honest, I can't be mad at you . . . If this came up at a different time, perhaps I would have been a little less understanding . . . but you've gone far enough to introduce me to your family . . . and you are still too patient with me for your own good. Seriously, you expect me to keep you waiting a decade? Go get a workout and let me sleep . . . dumbass." I shake my head, rolling over to go back to sleep.

"I love you too, Blakey." Yang whispers, a slight happiness to her words.

_Takes you till now to realize this is how I show my affections?_

"And don't you forget it." I smile as I hear her stand up and make her way down the ladder. It's been an odd morning . . . even though it is still pitch black outside, but at least now I get a chance to kill the bitch who has MY blonde brawler worried.

Whoever she is, she now has my attention. I have kept my hands clean since I left the White Fang. If she doesn't leave Yang alone, then that is a streak that will be broken.

"You're an idiot Yang . . . but you're my idiot unfortunately." I whisper to myself. I care for Yang with all my heart, and if I need to prove it by making an example of someone . . . then I will.

* * *

Was kind of typing this with a gamer raging at Destiny a few feet away from me. Hopefully there is no drop in my usual quality. v.v

Reviews as always guys! Pwetty pwease?


	48. A Killer Workout into Checkmate

**_O_**_kay, first off!_

_Happy New Years everyone!_

_Okay, now that that is out of my system . . . There's an Easter egg in this chapter! Woop woop! It's been far too long!_

_I hope you are enjoying the story so far. I've been stuck in the hous since yesterday cause I hurt my ankle :'( So all I've had to do is play 2k15, or type...sucky life._

_A lot of people had a nice little laugh when it was revealed Qrow can't cook xD Better than I expected to be quite honest._

_Anyway, please enjoy the chapter for now, and remember the rules for the Easter eggs!_

**Name the anime it is from, then say what the easter egg itself is. I need BOTH of those things to give you credit.**

* * *

**_POV: YANG XIAO LONG_**

**_Chapter 48 – A Killer Workout Into Checkmate_**

"Go get a workout and let me sleep . . . dumbass"

"I love you too, Blakey." _God I love her so much right now._

"And don't you forget it."

Yup, she was my adorable grumpy Kittycat. I guess I shouldn't have been worried about Shun at all, but now I am worried for the cheetah girl. There was a look in Blake's eye that illuminated them just enough for me to see a killer glare. I'm not sure what she plans, but I hope for Remnant's sake that Shun doesn't show up in town today.

I move away from Blake's bedside and make my way over to the ladder that is bolded to the ground. I push my foot onto it, letting my weight accumulate on the ladder until it is enough to force the section of the floor to give in on one side and drop down, making the ladder more accessible to climb down from, although I opt to hop down and silence my landing with a roll instead, which also leaves me right on front of my room.

_Alright, Uncle should be up, so let me just . . . get into something a bit dryer and knock on the door._

I make my way back into my room and closing the door behind me. I strip off my dampened panties, tossing them into the open hamper in the corner of my room. I will probably bring my laundry into town today since I am being forced to go there anyway. I have three pairs of those panties that read 'Treat Me Right' in white text, but what makes me love them is the way a portion of the phrase is highlighted in yellow and reads 'Eat Me' instead.

The first time Blake saw them I thought her look of shock was just so adorable. In fact I never quite forgot just how amazed she was that I own some clothing like that. She shouldn't have been that surprised about it in all honesty. I mean, she is dating a girl that she knows to be pretty big on teasing, but I suppose she didn't expect it to carry over that far into the clothing as well.

I go to my dresser, rummaging through the top drawer for another pair of boyshorts to wear. I don't know how girls can wear all those low cut panties. Honestly, other styles feel like they try too hard to be teasing and sexy. I'll settle for my flirtatious boyshorts any day of the week, especially with some of the lewd wordings most of them have.

_I should buy a few more pairs when we go into town. That will be my way of airing out after I set the laundry to wash. That's perfect!_

I smile to myself, finding a yellow pair that I instantly put on, along with throwing on one of my sports bras that I have an uncounted amount of. Although this one was one of my favorites since it was completely black like the others, but had the words 'I BURN' in yellow resting over the front. I had this one specially made in town a while back, along with a few others. I then throw on my black shorts with yellow trimming along each leg hole, and yellow strings to match.

_Wait . . . what if Uncle Qrow isn't awake . . ?_

I pause a moment, then begin to die of laughter at my own stupidity. Uncle Qrow was always the first person awake, even if you went to bed several hours before him. It's like he knows when you are going to wake up and adjusts accordingly. I need to know how he does it.

I hum to myself as I walk out of my room and down the hall in the direction of Ruby's room. A few steps down I stop and knock on the door to my right a few times with the second knuckle of my middle finger, and a relaxed, cheery voice greets me from behind the doorway.

"Come in!" Uncle Qrow shouts, although it sounds like he is already in the middle of a workout.

I open the door, completely forgetting to shut it behind me. The room is larger than mine and Ruby's (since our rooms are the same size) but also has the least amount of furniture inside. The door that I just entered is in a corner of the room, with plenty of space ahead of me and to my left. To the left along the wall is a single dresser that is for clothing, and next to the dresser, but going along the adjacent wall is the bed. Aside from that there is only a wooden nightstand in the corner furthest from me at the moment, along with a lamp sitting on top. It's a pretty average looking room with the walls being painted a 'dirty white' sort of color. Straight ahead of me is an open window, but more importantly, between me and the window is Uncle Qrow on the ground.

"Hey. Knew you'd be up!" I smile, walking towards him. He currently has his left hand behind his back, and his right hand on the floor. I walk around him and sit down on the floor while he continues his one handed pushups. As I walk by I make note of Uncle Qrow's back. With the slightest of movements I can see the muscles of his upper back tense as he lowers and lifts himself, most likely being used to help balance himself on one hand.

Uncle Qrow is nothing like the oversize muscle-heads that think just because their arms are gigantic that it represents strength. Uncle Qrow has been able to get himself to the point that his body gains pure muscle, without much mass gain. To be honest his arms are barely thicker than mine, but he has a ton more muscle definition, as opposed to me where I have minimal, but as we all know, my punches portray the true strength hidden in my body.

"As I always am. Couldn't sleep?" He asks, looking forward at me, or rather through me. He has this respectable habit of spacing out during his workout, but still paying perfect attention to voices. He holds a perfect posture with everything, and will often gaze blankly in whatever direction the proper posture calls for, and it leaves a lot of people feeling uneasy.

"Nope, got restless and need to burn some energy. How many pushups have you done so far?" I ask and take a few steps back before dropping onto my knees and mimicking his pushup posture, except with my left hand on the floor and my right hand behind my back.

"Lost count half an hour ago, plus you're doing it wrong . . . look at my palm carefully."

I tilt my head, looking down at his hand, and then back at his absent gaze.

"Kinda hard to do that when your palm on the floor, Uncle." I roll my eyes at his logic.

"Fortunately for you, my palm is _not_ on the floor. Take a look." He says with a chuckle that radiates confidence and playfulness.

I play along with his game and lower myself to the floor. My breasts giving me a bit of trouble as I try to lay flat, but eventually I get myself down far enough and realize that my Uncle wasn't bullshitting me. In fact his palm is about an inch off the ground while he is doing his pushups. It's like some sort of magic show.

"Wait, so now you're some kind of magician? When are you going to stop picking up extra jobs?" I roll my eyes while I move up to my knees.

"I'm using my aura to push me off the ground, Yang. It's great endurance training. I decided to add the pushups to sort of kill two birds with one stone. I get my endurance training for my aura, and my muscle/endurance training for my body."

_Yup, Uncle Qrow being an overachiever yet again._

"Cool, how about I give it a try?" I smile, getting myself in a proper position, and begin taking a deep breath to focus.

"Oh no you don't! With how uncontrollable your aura is. You'll burn the damn house down. Get on my back."

"Huh?

"Get on my back." He says again, bringing his left hand down to the floor to adapt a more proper pushup position, but instead he lowers his knees to the ground and takes up the kneeling position I had earlier. "I'll use you as extra body strength training, and aura control training. I'll do the same pushups as I was doing, but also use my aura so you don't burn a hole through me. Let's face it, I'm the most durable thing in this entire house . . . well, next to Crescent Rose. Ruby built that damn thing like a tank . . . speaking of which I need to check and see just how much she added to it . . . I swear if she put more stuff on it that I will need to counterweight for her, then I am going to strip it down to about half the size."

I can't help but giggle as Uncle Qrow begins ranting about Crescent Rose. Ruby started to add little mods to Crescent Rose, and pretty soon she became unable to stop. At one point she had a laser sight, but then dropped it off after she found a way to give Crescent Rose an expanded rifle form. That weapon has gone from a normal scythe, to oversized gun, to a sniper-shotgun, then to a compact shotgun, and finally it was adapted to its hybrid form. Having the scythe form as its main, then the expanded rifle form, and the more compact form that she uses to carry it around. If Uncle Qrow didn't tell Ruby that enough was enough, then she probably would have rebuilt it yet again.

"She only added one attachment to it, Uncle Qrow, and it was our resident Ice Queen that gave it to Ruby as a gift." I smile, moving from my pushup position onto my knees as well and putting my palms onto my lap.

"Oh? The Schnee girl? What was her name? Ice? Rice?"

"Weiss . . . Why are you so bad with names? How many people have you offended because you didn't remember their name after one day?" I shake my head. My Uncle is a brilliant fighter, trainer, and is the greatest at anything combat or fitness related, but I guess with all that prowess he has to lack in pretty much everything else.

"Hey! I'm not THAT bad with names . . . I just need to repeat it a few hundred times. Besides, I can recall two names right now that you will be surprised of." He nods his head in pride.

"Oh? Do tell." I chuckle, eager to hear.

"Blake Belladonna . . . your girlfriend . . . and I remember that because now I need to go ask out Glynda sometime . . . that will not be pretty." He lets out a heavy sigh, knowing the impossible task ahead.

"And the other name?" I raise an eyebrow at him.

"The girl that taught you how to box properly and brought you to the gym in town to compete and learn everything there is . . . Shun Hitomi."

_I really don't need to hear that name right now!_

"Yup . . . that's her." I trail off, taking a deep breath. I never told anybody what really happened between Shun and I. Everyone assumed we were just friends, but behind closed doors we were madly in love . . . or at least I was.

"So, what did Rice get her?"

"_Weiss_ got Ruby a new scope for Crescent Rose, and it has some really cool lettering on the side now."

"Oh? What's it say?" He asks with intrigue in his voice.

"It says _'The Last Thing You Never See'. _Sounds pretty badass, doesn't it?"

"Does have a pretty nice ring to it. Come on, we can keep talking while we workout. Oh, get two bracelets out of my backpack. It's next to the nightstand. Set one to 50%, and the other to 5%. So, how did those two end up together? Hate to say it, but I never pictured the Schnee heiress dating Ruby. I mean, I never thought Ruby would end up going out with a Schnee heiress." Uncle Qrow says after carefully picking out his words. I am already on my feet, rummaging through his back to find the two bracelets he wants. Anytime we train, he always makes me wear one to help me learn to better manage my aura . . . those lessons always go out the window. I try my best, don't get me wrong, but aura control was never my thing.

"You and me both. Those two use to butt heads like there was no tomorrow, and then a few events happened . . . involving me misunderstanding a situation, trying to kill Ice Queen in one punch. Ruby intercepting said punch and taking the hit for Weiss . . . and well, then Weiss confessed to Ruby after she got out of the infirmary." I finally find the two bracelets I've been looking for and begin walking back to Uncle Qrow.

"Wait, you punched your sister? Yang, how the hell do you even manage that!?"

"I was pissed, and to avoid me punching Weiss she changed where my anger was directed by pulling my hair . . . she knew what she was doing." I sigh, recalling my conversation with Blake about the whole situation.

"I see . . . Ruby seems to be willing to put her body on the line to keep that girl safe then, huh?"

"You kidding? Ruby is glued to Weiss every second of the day. The only time those two aren't together is when one of 'em has to use the bathroom. Hell, they'd even take showers together if there wasn't the risk of me breaking Weiss' face in." I reach Uncle Qrow, setting one dial to 50 and the other to 5. I hand the one with the lower of the two numbers to him, and place the other on my right wrist. An odd feeling shoots through me immediately. I begin to feel cold, and even start to shiver. One of the reasons I hated these things were because of the fact that it made me get a small case of the chills, since my aura is pretty heated and these bracelets nulled whatever amount of it.

"Interesting." He says, placing the bracelet on, and lying flat on the floor while I carefully position myself over him. I place my palms slightly below his shoulders, and do my best to plant the balls of my feet on his Achilles. I lay myself flat on top of him, waiting for him to start so I can mimic his pace.

"Yang, I think it may be best to let those two do as they wish." Uncle Qrow says while he starts to push himself up, immediately I focus my aura, feeling myself push off of his back before I begin doing my own pushups. It's a lot harder than I thought, I'll admit that, especially since I am doing this on a moving surface, but Uncle Qrow was right . . . I'll burn a hole in the floor, and burn down the house if I tried to do this there.

"Why should I leave those two alone? I don't want to think what Weiss will do to Ruby if I didn't watch those two like a hawk!" I growl under my breath, my anger forcing me to exert a bit more aura, but I quickly correct it.

"Would Weiss do something against Ruby's wishes? Is their relationship that one sided?" Uncle Qrow asks me while keeping perfect rhythm with his pushups, almost like a machine.

"Of course not. Weiss will do anything Ruby wants . . . although I hate it when Weiss scolds my little sis all the time."

"For?"

"Eating too many cookies, not finishing her homework . . . . . ." I pause, letting out a loud sigh, "Okay, so Weiss scolds Ruby for good reason . . . I still need to keep an eye on them. I don't want them to-"

"Do the same thing you were doing in the attic with Belladonna? Before you ask . . . I could hear the bed moving up there. Dumb move."

_And he acted that casually when I came in? I swear, he is too relaxed. Dad would have told me to go into town and rent a motel if I'm gonna be doing that._

"That's exactly it." I huff, then something dawns on me.

_Wait, how long have we been doing this?_

"Yang, unfortunately Ruby will not be my precious little niece forever, and she won't be your helpless baby sis forever. In fact, I will make a deal with you." Uncle Qrow has a chuckle under his breath that begins making me uneasy.

"And that is?" I ask, starting to wonder how long we have been doing this again. I can feel a fatigue in my arms, and I have no idea how much aura I have left. The problem with these bracelets is that when you are reaching your limit with them, you don't know it. You simply just stopping using your aura and collapse from exhaustion.

"If you tell me now that you will leave 'em alone. Then I will give Rice a little scare."

"Weiss! Her name is Weiss! . . And what kind of scare?"

"An Uncle Qrow scare . . . I'll just show her a fraction of my aura, and tell her a threat that well . . . wouldn't be a threat, but a promise."

"Uncle, what are you gonna-"

"Aaaaand 150! Do 50 more and I'll tell you!"

_Challenge accepted._

I begin to focus more on my breathing and counting out each pushup in my head. Physically I can keep up with this, even if I slow down, but I am more worried about-

"Explosive push!"

My eyes widen at the quick command, and as soon as he says it I flare my aura, sending my hands a foot or so above his back while he does the same in complete sync with me. I press my hands together in a loud clap, then place my hands on his back before going back to exerting the same amount of aura while he falls back to the floor and I remain above him.

_Not gonna make this easy, are you?_

"Explosive hand switch! 10!"

_Fuck! _

"I shift to my right hand, placing my left behind my back. I lower down and do a full pushup, then release my aura in a sharp pulse to send me up high enough to switch and land on my left before doing the same, all while also using a steady amount to keep my palm from touching Uncle Qrow's back. I am not good with controlling my aura in tiny bursts. I can feel a soreness go through my arms after each landing, as well as a cold chill erupt through my body.

"Alright, Yang. 20 more. Normal."

I sigh, moving back into my normal posture to continue normally. The first five are effortless, but after that I begin to lose control of my aura a bit. The result being that the flat surface I somewhat managed to manipulate with my pulses becomes shaky. My arms reflect this with visible quakes that also make it harder to do my pushups. Physically I can keep on par with Uncle Qrow for days, but once he incorporates his aura into a workout I am left useless, and now is no different.

I clench my teeth, fighting for a few more reps. I just need ten more to find out what he plans on doing, but I hear him murmur something that completely shatters my hopes.

"Sorry Yang . . . you're at your limit."

And not even a second later my aura gives out. My palms press onto his back to secure my landing, but give out immediately and leave me collapsed over him.

"…Show off…" I whisper while he continues.

"Nope, this is showing off." He answers, and continues his pushups for what feels like another 5 full minutes while I fall asleep on his back.

_He'll bring me to my room…I'm too tired for this._

* * *

**_One Hour Later_**

I take a deep breath as I wake up on my back, facing the ceiling. The sun is shining through my window a bit, so I've been out cold for more than half an hour, that's for sure. I sit up in my bed and turn to get my legs on the floor to leave my room and see what's going on. At the same time Ruby is coming out of her room with a massive case of bedhead.

"Hey Yang." Ruby says with a soft groan in her voice.

"Hey, sis. Weiss still asleep?" I ask while walking towards her, meeting halfway with each other in front of the open door to the room Uncle Qrow has been sleeping in.

"No, I guess she woke up a while ago. Wonder what she ate for breakfast."

Suddenly it dawns on me, and my eyes widen, along with Ruby's.

"Ruby, did you tell Weiss about…"

"No, I forgot! Oh god, I hope she didn't eat his food!" Ruby panics and runs downstairs with me in tow.

I run into the kitchen to see Ruby standing g there in complete shock. When I turn my head tp see what she is looking at, we spot a bowl that has a few more remains of egg yolk in it, but next to it are varied assortments of bottles for any kind of vitamin that is fitness related, along with protein pills.

Uncle Qrow always felt the need to add vitamins whenever he cooked. I have no idea how he can eat that stuff himself . . . I hope Weiss isn't dead.

"Check the living room, Rubes." I suggest, turning around to walk down the hallway, and a gust of air speeding by me not even a fraction of a second later.

I peek around the corner of the living room and see Weiss laying on the sofa watching TV, and Ruby diving over the arm of the furniture to land on her girlfriend.

"You're alive!" Ruby cries out as she lands on Weiss with an audible thud.

"Get off me you dolt! Yeah, I noticed your Uncle can't cook to save his life. Then I noticed the pills on the counter, and I told him I'm a vegan." Weiss sighs, wrapping her arms around Ruby despite just telling my sis to get off.

"Wait, I thought you _were_ a vegan." Ruby says with a tilt of her head.

"I'm far from a vegan, Ruby. I'm a Pesco-vegetarian." Weiss clarifies.

"Huh?"

"A vegan doesn't eat anything that comes from an animal . . . milk, eggs, etcetera. A vegetarian does eat eggs and drink milk, but does not eat any meat from an animal, including fish. A Pesco-Vegetarian, which is what I am, follows all the eating habits of a vegetarian, except I do eat fish . . . do you remember when we ate tuna sandwiches? I do eat salami on the very rare occasion . . . Only when there is nothing else to eat and I decide to have a sandwich that is not tuna . . . I hate tuna breath with a passion."

"Thanks for the lesson, Ice Queen." I say, making Weiss jump and attempt to move Ruby off of her, but I raise my hand for her to stop. "You're fine, you're fine. I'm going out later in town today. Do you two need anything?"

"More strawberries!" Ruby shouts and buries her face into Weiss' neck.

"If you would be kind enough to get . . . Actually I better come with, it's a big list. I want to get a few materials and condiments to make a proper salad. I don't want to go anywhere near that kitchen after my near death experience." Weiss shivers.

"That's a very _Weiss_ decision." I comment, and both of them groan loud enough to wake up Blake.

_Well, a few hours from now and I will be in town with Blake and Weiss . . . I feel like I've just been put into checkmate._

* * *

Anyone?

Get it?

Weiss and Blake?

...checkmate?

...you guys suck!

Okay, hope you enjoyed this chapter :D Please leave a review and let me know how I did. Believe me I read every review so I can better myself!

Help me help you help me get out better content for you!


	49. Departing For Town

**_POV: BLAKE BELLADONNA_**

**_Chapter 49 – Departing For Town_**

"Kittycat . . . Kittycat~ Oh Kittty caaaaaat!"

I let out a loud groan as I roll over onto my back, and bump into something. I open my eyes and groan at the brightness of the room despite there being only one window. I look up to see Yang sitting at the edge of the bed with her back towards me while she looks at me from around her shoulder with a smile on her face.

"Hate to wake you up. I want to go to town in about half an hour, so get down quickly, kay?" As soon as she finishes her sentence she stands up and jogs to the ladder, leaving me in bewilderment as to why she is rushing.

"If you think I am that pissed at you about the whole situation . . . I'm going to hurt you, Yang." I say out loud to myself. Lazily I keep rolling towards the edge of the bed, until my last roll leaves my back feels no cushion to land, and I fix that by twisting my form before my short fall to the ground can even begin, landing silently on my fingers and the balls of my feet. I feel a breeze greeting my body, and I hear a rustling sort of noise that is relatively close to me. I look underneath me which is where I believe it is coming from, and see the sides of my yukata are dragging along the floor.

_Couldn't close it up for me, Yang? I bet you were just eying my body while you were waking me up. Well, at least my bra and . . . pan- I need to change those before I go downstairs._

I pause a moment and sniff the air, shaking my head and quickly changing my mind.

_Let's make that a shower._

I move to my feet and walk over to the nearby window of the attic. Now that I think about it, it probably wasn't the best idea to let Yang have her way with me in the attic, but for a different reason than most would expect of me. I rather not have Ruby come up here to work on her little workstation and recognize a different scent. Most people wouldn't notice, but I will be top dollar that Ruby (being the weapon nut that she is) would notice when there is not the complete scent of metal, wood, or that garage/basement scent that is not a good or bad scent, but has its own appeal to many.

To fix the issue of the scent I open up the window, leaving it as wide as possible. It's a slow working solution, but it is more discreet than finding air freshener or anything else that would reveal I am hiding something, or attempting to hide something.

_I hope Yang has a spare bath towel and hopefully a washer._

I fix my yukata, wrapping it around my entire form and retying the sash keep it secured. I walk over to the ladder, but instead I go next to it and lower onto my hands and knees at the side of it. I've seen Yang open the hatch and simply hop down, but I am too tired to take the small jump, and decide for a different approach that is just as fast.

In a quick movement I move sideways on all 4's with a tiny hop that lands me right on the climbing tool. The moment my weight settles onto it I can feel it go from being horizontal to slowly shifting into a vertical position as it lowers. Before it goes all the way down I step off, landing on the second floor hallway, and watching as it goes back up to close.

Unfortunately, I get distracted by something as simple as the swaying string that is used to pull down the hidden entryway from the hallway, and take the opportunity to hit it gently. My eyes glue onto the target, following it with playful abandon until I remember that Yang could be nearby, and will not let me forget a mental lapse such as that.

"You're going to break my back you brute!" I hear the complaints of Weiss nearby, but for some reason they are coming from Yang's room. I walk over to the open the doorway and peek inside, subjecting myself to an odd, yet somehow humorous display.

Weiss is laying on Yang's bed, wearing a pair of Ruby's rosepetal pajama pants and no top. In fact the only thing covering the heiress' small bust is a towel placed conservatively beneath her that Weiss is using her arms to hold up to hide any side-boob sightings.

Yang is not too far away from the spectacle. Actually, she is kneeling right over the heiress with her knees on either side of the pale form while she appears to be resting her ass on Weiss'. A close look and I can see Yang running her hands along Weiss' back, but with added force with each movement while her fingers appear to each have a specific task. Yang's hands are glowing a bit, and there is a look of frustration on her face.

"I'm trying my best here, Princess. Fact of the matter is that I need to put a little force, alright?" Yang sighs, keeping a much calmer attitude with Weiss than normal.

"Hey! Only I call her Princess!"

Of course we cannot forget Little Red. The adorable silver-eyed crimsoness is seated on the floor with her back against the bed. Until now she has been reading a magazine that is still held in her hands, along with a pair of red headphones that I recall her telling me she got from From Dust Till Dawn, but in the heat of her heroics 'forgot' she had them. Ruby is now looking over her shoulder at Yang, unamused that Yang addressed Weiss by a petname Ruby likes to use. After a quick stare Ruby goes back to reading her magazine, and while she is turning the page I get a read of the title and let out a quiet sigh.

_'Weapons Weekly' . . . really Ruby?_

"I can't believe Ruby's sleeping bag did this to me. I rather try my luck with the couch or even the recliner at this rate!" Weiss complains while Yang continues her massage.

"You'll survive. As a matter of fact I am done, just need to do one more thing . . . don't you panic on me now." Yang says and begins leaning down over Weiss. I watch as Yang's left arm reaches around Weiss' form, more specifically around the front of Weiss' shoulders and going over the collar bone before reaching the other shoulder. Slowly Yang begins to pull Weiss backwards, making the heiress' back arch until a long series of cracks are heard, making flinches of minor pain appear all over Weiss' face, growing in intensity after each crack occurs in the domino effect. Satisfied at her work, Yang lets go, allowing Weiss to collapse onto the bed again. The pained face soon softening along with the frustrated look on Yang.

"Thanks . . ." Weiss whispers, reaching out to place a hand on Ruby's head, who immediately turns to place a quick kiss on Weiss' forearm.

"Not a prob. Ruby can go get your suitcase so you can dress in here. I'll just wait downstairs for you two." Yang says and climbs off the heiress, and at the same time I step into the doorway to make my appearance.

"Don't rush, I plan on taking a quick shower. Yang, you have a towel I can use?"

All three sets of eyes lock onto me, although Yang is the only one to speak.

"Yeah, there's a tan towel in the bathroom, just use that. Guessing you want me to bring your clothes to the bathroom?" Yang asks, smiling as she walks towards me.

_Shit, I forgot to bring my clothes down . . . She's far too observant of me._

"That'd be nice. Also, good morning Ruby. Good morning, Weiss." I lean to the side to see by Yang while I greet the two. Ruby gives an absent minded wave, completely entranced in her magazine, and Weiss returns the good morning without moving from the bed to preserve her modesty.

"Alright. Just leave the door unlocked." Yang says and walks past me to tug down the ladder while I make my way a few feet to the bathroom that is on the other side of the hall. I open the door and walk inside, closing it behind me.

The bathroom walls are a sky-blue with tiny bath tiles that match. The porcelain-white bathtub dominates the right half of the room. Directly ahead of me, bolted into the wall but within arm's reach from the bath tub is a towel rack with the tan towel Yang mentioned earlier. The sink is the closest thing to me, sitting at my left with a large mirror above it. The sink is a porcelain white just like the tub, but the front and sides are shellacked wood. The toilet is in the far left corner, of course it is also porcelain, except for the bowl and lid which are also shellacked wood. On the floor in front of tub is a large wood-brown mat to step on to make sure whoever is stepping out of the shower doesn't slip.

I waste no time in stripping off my yukata, letting it fall where it may. The next to follow is my bra, then my panties. I hate it when people hold me up, so naturally I hate to do the same. I plan on making this shower a quick lather, rinse and will let my hair dry outside.

Fortunately, the shower knobs are setup in the same way as in Beacon. Having three knobs, two controlling the hot and cold water, and the third alternating the path of the water. I twist both knobs and even amount and let the water warm for a second. So far the only thing I have to complain about the bathroom is that the shower curtain is see-through. I mean, it is a family house, and I am sure the bathroom door is locked when someone is inside, but I feel there should be a second curtain for decoration or something.

I reach back into the tub to feel the running water, turning the hot water knob a bit more and turning the center knob to make the water change to the shower head before I hop in. The water is at a temperature that I barely feel the difference as it cascades my body. I search around for the bar of soap, and my immediate attention is obviously my inner thighs and a more intimate area.

Oddly enough as I shower now it reminds me of the aftermath of my first kiss with Yang. I can recall every pattern she traced on my ear that day, and not once did I feel she did it out of lust. She never pushed her luck and felt me up, or became overly aggressive with me. It's odd now that I realize it, but the blonde brawler who is famous for having her fun, ending things after a week, and continuing on to a new person is also the same person who waited over a month to make a first attempt with me, and even then did not go further than what she felt was right.

Yang's mentality with me has not changed in the slightest. She makes no advances since I make none, and becomes brave enough to push things slightly further. If she were to take the lead more, I would not complain, but I cannot complain either to know that she is following my example and allowing me to dominate the pace of our relationship . . . even if it means not advancing at all.

_I suppose I could try a bit more to open up to her . . . She's my girlfriend and my partner. I think opening up is the best thing I can do . . . for the both of us._

I finish lathering up my thighs and begin working on stomach, torso and breasts, and finally getting to my shoulders and arms before letting the water wash the soapsuds off of me. I can let out a sigh of relief now that I have a cleaner feeling on my body, but I still need to wash my back, which is always a pain.

I hear the bathroom door open, and my eyes immediately snap to the door. I watch as Yang walks in, staring at the toilet while she walks over and lays my clothing down on the lid for me. While she turns around she makes sure she turns so her back is towards me, clearly making attempts to avoid peeking into the see-through curtain. Just as she reaches the door I end up calling out her name, without realizing until the words already leave my lips.

"Yang." She freezes in place, turning to face me, but keeping her eyes closed.

"Didn't peek Kittycat, I swear." She defends. Yang has never seen me naked. The most she has seen was me being topless, and that was only because I just came out the shower in our dorm room and had no idea she was in the room. When I said Yang has never made any advances in our relationship, I meant even the baby steps.

"I need someone to wash my back." I say bluntly, and immediately a blush begins to cross her lips.

"Not cool to mess with me like that, Blake. I'm not after your body. I told you that several times. You don't gotta think that I was lying because of what happened this morning." She sighs, and I sigh as well, realizing that my timing for this is not the greatest, especially since Yang is very defensive and cautious to not mess things up with me.

I decide to sit on the corner of the tub, having to move the curtain out of the way to make room. My back is towards Yang and I take a slow, deep breath before continuing. I have no doubt in my mind that my cheeks are on fire, and I keep my gaze inside the tub to avoid Yang seeing my blushing face.

"I'm not messing with you Yang. Are you going to help me out or not . . . the air is cold/" I peek over my shoulder to see if she is still there, using my shoulder to hide my cheek from view. I watch as she opens her eyes and sees the position I am in. With my right hand I hold out the soap behind me, waiting for her to take it, which she eventually does with a shaky grip.

"I'm seriously not messing with you, Yang . . . Can you just hurry up?" I say, a slight uneasiness in my last words.

A shiver erupts through my spine when I feel the bar first touch my back, and Yang makes quick work of lathering me up, and does nothing else than what I ask of her.

_You're too considerate for your own good, Yang . . . I'm not good at these things._

"There you go, all done." She whispers and I watch as a tossed bar of soap is sent flying over my shoulder to slide around in the tub before stopping over the drain.

"Thanks." I whisper, while standing up. I feel a mix of feelings: anger, annoyance, reassurance, and trust. All of these from Yang not doing a thing extra than what I asked her to do.

_She's so thick-skulled!_

"Oh, and Blake?" I hear her say my name with honey coating her lips. I haven't stepped towards the water yet, so I am still the same distance as before, except since I stood up my bare bottom is exposed to her eyes, although I doubt she is taking the chance to look . . . the one time I wouldn't mind.

"Yeah?" I answer, looking over my shoulder again just in time to see her lean in and press her lips to my cheek with a smile on her face.

"Next time, how about we shower together or something? I think it's fairer if you can have something to look at too." She explains and quickly makes her way out of the bathroom.

I walk underneath the water again, and turn around, letting the water get all the suds off of me and shortly after I turn off the water completely. I reach out the tub for the tan towel to dry myself off as quickly as possible. The clothes Yang left for me are my usual attire – the same clothing I came to Beacon wearing. She even went as far as to leave the ribbon I use to cover my ears on top of the rest of my clothes. The gesture brings a smile to my lips while I start to dress, making quick work of putting on my outfit and making my way out the bathroom.

Yang's room door is open when I leave the bathroom, so naturally I peek in and see her sitting on her bed, wearing her usual brown jacket with the short shorts she loves so much. She notices me immediately and gestures to the top of her head, and I shake my head at her. I didn't put on my bow, and she noticed that right away, but she doesn't know it was on purpose.

"I'm going to test your uncle's advice. I want to see just how Faunus-friendly the people of Patch are." I smile at Yang and walk into my room, setting my ribbon onto her table.

"You won't regret it, everyone is really nice here. If anyone forgets their manners, then I'll bash their face in!" Yang grins, cracking her knuckles in preparation.

"Thanks, Yang . . . but I rather people respect me of their own free will rather than you're threat of a death punch from over my shoulder." Yang gets up from her bed and starts walking towards me, shrugging her shoulders.

"Fine, fine. I'll let them be rude . . . then before we leave town I'll punch every last person who was rude to you." I can't tell if she is joking or not. Yang is always ready to defend the three of us, even Weiss, despite Yang being one of the main people to mess with Weiss.

"Yang . . . if you don't cause any troubles in town I'll sit on your lap as much as you want for the rest of today, on top of tomorrow."

_Seems like something to get her to relax._

"Really!?" Her face and eyes light up like a puppy, just like Ruby when Weiss promises her cookies.

"Yes, Yang. That doesn't mean that if I am sitting in the living room, you can pull me into another room to sit on your lap . . . whatever room I am in at the time . . . that's the only rule."

"Deal!" Yang runs up to me and gives me a soft hug.

"Well, I guess we should head out. Ready?" I ask, waiting for Yang to let me go before I walk to the door with her following.

"Yup! Head outside and I'll grab Ruby and Weiss." Yang is right behind me, appearing to be a lot calmer than this morning. I'm glad.

_I'll try to help move things along, Yang . . . but you better not be so dense, either. Although I can't wait to meet this former lover of yours . . . I wonder if she has more in common with me than just being a Faunus. Actually, I don't care. I just want her away from you._

"Lead the way, Miss Xiao Long." I chuckle.

* * *

You guys know the drill xD Give me a review and stuff!

Nobody has gotten the Easter egg from the last chapter yet! Come on D:! At least try :D

Anyway, I can't believe how many people actually keep up with this, I'm honored! Hope I can keep pumping out likable chapters!


	50. Not the Greatest First Impression

Sorry about being late with the chapter guys. Had a small case of writer's block, and my sprained heel hasn't been making it easier since I like to walk around while I think xD

Anyway, nobody has gotten the Easteregg yet, and I suppose I will go ahead and say what it is at the end of this chapter . . . for dramatic purposes xD Yup yup!

Hope you guys enjoy and as always please please please please please review D:

* * *

**_POV: WEISS SCHNEE_**

**_Chapter 50 – Not the Greatest First Impression_**

I watch as Yang makes her exit from the room, along with Blake. Blake making a left turn after passing the doorway to go to the bathroom. Yang makes a right turn, and the slight creak of the attic entrance being pulled down is heard, followed by the sound of her climbing the ladder into the attic.

"Ruby, could you get my clothes for me?" I ask her, hugging the towel to my chest. I take a moment to move my hips and twist in every possible direction. Yang did wonders, and the remaining pain is minimal.

"Hmph!" I hear from Ruby, who continues to read through her magazine. She's been completely silent, at least when it came to talking to me the entire time Yang was treating my back, and knowing how Ruby can be, I feel I already know what is eating away at her.

"Alright, Ruby. You know I was against taking off my shirt, but Yang was right. To be able to work without problem I needed to lose my top . . . and unfortunately my bra as well. I have no feelings for your sister in the slightest, so why are you being such a grouch?" I shake my head, looking on as Ruby flips a page in the magazine that I can see from over her shoulder.

". . ."

That silence from her is something I hate to hear. Ruby couldn't keep quiet to save her life, making it that much more bothersome when she keeps quiet with me. This has been the second time she gives me the silent treatment, the first was when I forgot that her favorite food is actually strawberries and not cookies, but the silent treatment from then only lasted about half an hour.

"Ruby . . . You know I hate it when you're quiet with me. If you don't talk to me than how am I supposed to know how you feel? Unfortunately I am no mind reader, Ruby Rose. Now tell me why you are so bothered so we can move on." I hold the towel tightly over my bust while I lean off of the bed partially to give Ruby's cheek a kiss before retreating back onto the bed to avoid giving my towel a chance to fall.

"Because . . ." She begins, and like most children she trails off into silence, still looking at her weapon magazine.

"Because? Talk to me, Dolt . . . and put the magazine down for Remnant's sake." I roll my eyes, but she is quick to comply. After her magazine is down she looks over her shoulder at me with an angry look, but it was the angry look of hers that still bore an amazing amount of cuteness to it.

"You could have woken me up if you had back pain! I don't have the gift of Yang's semblance, but I learned how to deal with knots, and body aches since Yang use to come home sore from the gym all the time!" The anger in Ruby's eyes soften to sorrow, and even jealousy. I suppose the bigger effect on her was having her sister give me a massage that Ruby feels she is far more capable of doing. My guess on what Ruby was mad about was completely off, and now I feel awful. One, for assuming that she was just being jealous that I took my top off for Yang (regardless of the purpose or situation), and two, because she was mad over my health, and was more worried than anything.

"I didn't know you knew how to give massages. You never told me, so how am I supposed to know such a thing?" I defend, reaching a hand out to place on Ruby's cheek.

"I use to give Yang massages all the time during the first semester! How could you not notice?" Ruby argues, although after a moment to think I realize something.

"Ruby, where was I most of the time during the first semester in the early evenings?"

"I dunno."

"And when does Yang get home from her workouts?"

". . . Early evenings . . ."

"Dolt, most times I was in the library studying, or taking time to practice my footwork with Myrtenaster, that's why I never saw you giving a massage to Yang."

Ruby is quick to wrap her arms around me, whispering several sorrys at a breakneck pace. I should be pissed at her for being mad at me so unjustly, but it has become harder and harder to get or stay mad at her.

"Sorry, Weiss . . . but I don't want you laying in that sleeping bag anymore. You are sleeping in my bed tonight, and that's final." She has a pouty tone with her words. Usually when that happens it means she won't give me an easy time.

"We'll need to speak with Yang about that, Ruby. I rather not risk the chance of going to sleep next to you and waking up somewhere in a ditch." I sigh, pulling Ruby's head closer to mine so I can give her cheek a kiss.

"Hmph! Fine!" Ruby reluctantly agrees.

"Now, can you please go get me my clothes?"

"Nope." Ruby pulls free from the hug, and has a grin on her face.

"And why not? I need to get dressed!" I shout at her, but she still smiles at me.

"Because, I want a kiss first." She states simply, making me both happy and annoyed.

"Fine, but just a quick one." I answer, leaning over with closed eyes and puckered lips. Seconds later her lips are pressed to mine in a quick peck that turns into two, then three, and finally four before she is satisfied and skips out of the room to her bedroom to get my clothes.

_I swear she is such a pest sometimes . . . but she's my best._

A few seconds later I see Yang walking past the room door with a full stack of clothing for Blake in her arms. One of the few times I see Yang at her kindest is when I comes to play, and to be quite honest it is a bit scary to see how kind Yang is capable of being. I was especially surprised that she was willing to help my back problem without so much as me begging, or saying I owe her anything in return. I close my eyes and decide to relax, finding that to be the quickest way to pass the infinite seconds while I wait for Ruby to get into the room with my clothes.

Roughly two minutes later Ruby comes into the room with my clothing, announcing herself with slight squeaks in the floorboards from her weight, although those squeaks were only present on certain parts of the hallway, and at the doorway to Yang's room.

"About time, Dolt." I whisper before opening my eyes. Looking at the small amount of clothing she has. I spot that she went as far as to find a bra to match the white panties I have on underneath the pajama pants I borrowed from her. She is also already dressed in her usual red and black attire, along with her cape secured and ready to go.

"Well sorry! Your suitcase was super-duper organized, so I had to lift things out and put them back in to find your stuff. Why would you put your bras at the very bottom anyway?" She sighs, placing the clothing next to me and then goes to close the door. I shake my head, more to the fact that she is completely correct, and I would have scolded her if I found my suitcase an unorganized mess later.

"Well, thank you for fixing my suitcase." I slide off of the bed and toss the towel back onto it while I reach down for the white bra sitting on top of the pile. Before I begin putting it on I feel a stare on me, and turn my head to see Ruby looking at me with an absent stare. "DOLT!"

"S-Sorry!" she shouts and turns to the door, keeping her gaze away from me until I tell her my bra is on. Whether I am in a towel, topless a few times, or starting to change, she always loves to watch me, and to be honest I don't mind it much, but it is also slightly embarrassing with how she stares. Yes, she and I consummated, but I suppose that is a different scenario all together. She was being a jealous girl, I was feeling brave for once, and with those two personality changes we ended up going further than I would normally accept, but I do not regret a moment of it.

Soon enough I am dressed in my full white outfit, and all that's left is for me to get Myrtenaster from Ruby's bedroom, and do my hair into the usual French Braid I am accustomed to. Just because we are going into town doesn't mean I should go with a 'cutesy' look as Ruby would call it, or that I should leave my weapon. I am very big on first impressions, and preparing for every possible contingency. Going into town may be a normally safe trip, but there is always that one time.

"Alright, let me go get Myrtenaster and a scrunchie." I say, walking past Ruby to the door.

"Don't you mean two scrunchies?" She asks from over my shoulder, following me to her room.

"No, Ruby. I am going to town with a French braid. It is my first time in Patch, and I need to go in a less-childish look for image purposes." I explain.

"Twintails are not childish! They're super adorable and I love them on you!" Ruby defends while we enter her room and I go into my suitcase to pull out a scrunchie.

"It's not up for debate, Ruby. I'll wear my twintails as much as you want after this, but this is a formality I need to go through with, understand?" I ask in my softest voice, my fingers beginning to deftly do their magic and work my hair into a three-strand French braid.

"Why not just go with the side ponytail you use, then?" She asks while I pull my hair over my right shoulder to continue the braid.

"Because a braid looks better, Ruby. My personality has changed a lot since I came to Beacon. Believe me when I say I have become a lot more humble. I just wish to make a good impression with whoever we encounter. It would be bad to leave a foul first impression in Patch. It would make it harder for the next time I come by."

"Next time?" She asks tilting her head while she sits next to me.

"I assume you would like me to come to Patch on other occasions would you not? It's not like my family is the most friendly, and to be honest the breathing space I am given over there is nothing to be proud of. It's a lifestyle you will get annoyed at within seconds. On top of my father probably being less than pleased at the fact that I am not going out with someone of prestige."

"Of course I would! Me and Yang would love to bring you back." She shouts with an optimistic smile.

"Yang and I." I correct her horrible English, and nod my head. "I'm glad to hear that, but only speak for yourself, Ruby. You do not know if Yang is pleased with me being here. Plus, there still goes the fact that I need to meet your father."

"Oh, come on! Dad's gonna love you! You're awesome!"

"Ruby, he may love me as a person, but it may take a while. I am not sure what kind of respect or detest he has for my grandfather's company, and frankly if someone came in that is set to take over a company that I hate . . . I wouldn't want them anywhere near me, and I hope that is not the type of person he is, but at the same time I cannot be upset if he is." I take a deep breath, finishing my French braid and securing it at the end with the scrunchie.

"He's going to like you, Weiss. I promise." I hear Ruby whisper and hug me before I get a chance to respond. Her hold is gentle, and brings a smile to my lips. Out if instinct I reach around to hug her back, sliding my hand underneath her cape rather than over it.

"Alright, I'll drop it. Now let's get downstairs, alright?" Ruby lets go of me after I speak and we both nod our heads. I go into my second suitcase and take out Myrtenaster from a case that was inside the suitcase and hilt my weapon on my left hip. I am surprised Ruby doesn't question me about bringing Myrtenaster.

We go downstairs and sit in the living room. Ruby sitting on a corner of the couch and leaning against the arm rest while I lay myself against her with my head on her right shoulder. I have my ponytail going down my right shoulder as well, leaving her ample room on my left cheek to pepper it in kisses.

"Ruby, what are you doing?" I ask with an amused tone.

"Kissing my girlfriend." She states simply.

"No you're not."

"Yes I am see!" She continues to plant her kisses. I roll my eyes and turn my head, pressing my right hand to her cheek to hold her still while I offer my own series of kisses to her lips.

"Now you're kissing your girlfriend." I whisper to her, getting an absentminded 'mhm' as an answer before having her hand press to the back of my head and pull me back into our gentle liplock. The position is slightly uncomfortable at the moment, so instead I turn myself around, putting my knees on the couch and placing my hands on the arm of the chair behind Ruby in order to hold myself up.

To compliment my change in posture, Ruby places one hand on my lower back to assist in pulling me up towards her, and the other hand on my upper back to just linger. What starts off as a gentle kiss eventually turns into a more passionate French one, as it usually did. Ruby's lips part a bit more than they already were, and instantly I know what she is seeking. I widen my own just slightly and challenge her wandering tongue with my own before it even touches my lips. The surprise of me technically starting the kiss sends her instantly to a new gear. I feel the tensing in both of her arms as she pulls me tightly against her form and chooses to roll over partially.

It's an odd position she tries to adopt, but when she finishes her shifting we are both on our sides on the sofa with me sandwiched between her and the backrest of the couch. The entire time I let her move me to her wishes, knowing she is strong enough to not need much assistance from me. As far as I was concerned I had something much more important to do, and that is kissing my adorable girlfriend.

Our kissing goes on for an undetermined amount of time, but is eventually broken up by Yang clearing her throat. Ruby immediately breaks away, but I lean in once more to steal a final touch of our lips before looking at Yang, who has a large laundry bag over her shoulder.

"Getting brave there, eh Ice Queen?" She asks with a playfulness in her voice, "Not a problem."

She gestures next to her to Blake who is mostly hidden by the doorway, but more importantly has most of her scroll hidden except for the camera portion that has a little red light next to it. My eyes widen, and my cheeks adapt a red shade that rivals the old color of Ruby's tips.

"D-Dispose of that recording this instant!" I shout, sitting up on the couch but not being able to get off since Ruby is blocking me.

"And why should we?" Yang asks, a wider smirk present on her face.

"Because you just invaded the privacy of Ruby and myself! That is uncalled for, and very childish of the two of you!" I scream.

"Don't be so dramatic." Blake says in her usual monotone and turns to leave the house with Yang following. Ruby is also quick to get up and helps me to my feet with a smile on her face.

"They're just having fun, Weiss. You know Blake would never do anything bad with a video, as a matter of fact I think it is better that Blake was the one recording. Come on, they're leaving us."

Ruby's observation skills are getting way better than I could have imagined. She is completely right, and should be thankful that Blake decided to record, most likely to avoid Yang getting a hold of said recording.

Ruby and I walk out the front door, closing it behind us and seeing Yang and Blake already pretty far ahead. Ruby enters a small jog to catch up while I take on a fast walking pace that allows me to catch up to the trio slowly but surely. When I get somewhere within ten feet of them we are already entering the town. Ruby slows down to let me catch up to her.

"Took your time, Princess." She smiles, placing an arm around my waist and matching my speed.

"Not like you waited for me, Dolt. Anyway, how big is this place?" I ask, looking around as the pure gravel road we walked over to get here picks up concrete along the sides.

"Huh?"

"Is this town a circle? Big square? A strip? How many blocks in each direction?"

"Oh, umm…I haven't gone all the way to the end, it's really far. But like . . . going sideways" Ruby clarifies what she means by pointing to her left and right while we walk, ". . . It's 3 blocks in each direction, ending in a cul-de-sac on each."

I nod my head. I like to know just how big the area I am wandering is. If Ruby hasn't gone all the way to the end of the town, that means it must be a pretty long strip, but just how long is it? With houses ending on each side of the side streets, there is no chance of getting lost, or going in the wrong direction, especially with the scattered shops and tiny stores that decorate the main street.

"Alright, you two." Yang calls out while she stops at the nearest corner, we are about 5 blocks into the town. "This is mainly for Weiss, Ruby. You know your way around . . . Just no going to the end, got it?"

"You never let me see what's down there, Yang! I wanna know!" Ruby pouts, but a firm stare from Yang silences the pouting sister.

_I see . . . bad side of town, is that it, Yang?_

"Alright, Weiss. Laundromat is on the next block, can't miss it. Across the street and another three blocks after the Laundromat is the kickboxing gym I practiced at. You go another block after that and there is a deli that makes epic sandwiches. Ever need something quick and tasty, you go there. Finally, and I believe this is what you want to know most, is that a block after the deli is a supermarket." Yang smiles, pausing a moment to think if she forgot anything, but ultimately shakes her head, and this time addresses the two of us.

"I'm going to set my clothes to wash, and some of Blake's. Afterwards the two of us will be in the Gym. If you two need anything, Blake has her scroll, I forgot mine." Yang pauses, eying the two of us. "Got it?"

"Yup, yup!" Ruby says with her usual hyperactive attitude

"Crystal." I answer and begin crossing the street with Ruby while Blake and Yang go into the Laundromat. Just as Yang said, 3 blocks after the Laundromat is a large gym with a sign reading 'Breakneck Brandon's Boxing Gym'. As Ruby and I pass by we see two people in a ring without any padding fighting each other. I watch the brief exchange of blows, then see something odd that grabs my attention as we pass by. One of the fighters appeared to have several spasms before collapsing and being declared knocked out, and the other fighter stood there doing a few short strikes as a victory celebration.

"Hey! I know that one!" Ruby shouts, "I'm going to go say hi!"

"Ruby, I rather not go into such a barbaric dwelling. That is something meant for Yang."

"Than just keep going. The supermarket is another 2 blocks from here. I'll catch up. In the back of the supermarket is another counter where they'll give you any vegetables and stuff you need!"

"Wait, but I-"

"Okay, bye!" and she is gone with the use of her semblance to disappear into the large double doors to the gym

"-wanted to go with you . . . Dolt"

I sigh, continuing my way down the next two blocks before coming across a building with large images displaying items that are on sale for the day. I keep walking until I spot a door to enter and become greeted by the cool, temperature controlled environment of the supermarket. As Ruby instructs I head straight towards the back on one of the long isles, but do not see the counter she mentioned. I am sure she knew what she was talking about, so I continue walking down, passing by each isle and briefly looking at what is within each section. I gather that the supermarket sells pretty much anything, although specializes in fish since it is an island after all. As I reach the other end of the market, I see the counter Ruby mentioned.

"Need a hand?" A deep voice calls out, startling me while I turn around to see a very tall and well-built bear Faunus wearing a white uniform with a black apron, which must be the standard attire for the employees. He walks passed me, lifting a piece of wood to let him go behind the counter, and soon meets up with me from behind the counter. "Well?"

"Oh, sorry. Ummm, Could I get a pound of lettuce, tomato, and onion?"

"You can, but do you want it?" He asks, smiling at me with playfulness in his tone, "Just being difficult. Coming up."

"Thank you." I whisper, looking around while I wait for things to be finished.

"ROB! POUND OF LETTUCE, POUND OF KETCHUP AND A POUND OF CRIERS."

I wince at the loud voice that has hints of growling in the back of his throat, but he still holds a calm demeanor when he looks at me.

"New in town, right? I know pretty much everybody that comes in and out more than once, and usually the people that only come in once are just passing through, and I don't meet 'em." He leans over the counter, his ears wiggling slightly while he listens.

"Yes, I am actually spending a few days here with a friend and her sister." I explain, not completely sure if I should go boasting of my relationship with Ruby to a complete stranger – well, he's a stranger to me at least.

"Nice, nice. If you don't mind me asking, could I get a name? Just curious is all. Not often we get many visitors, and I want to know who was able to drag you to this side of Patch."

"Well," _I rather not use Ruby's name . . . I guess the better choice is- _"One of their name's is Yang-"

"So you're friends with the infamous blonde boxer, eh?" He lets out a loud, hearty laugh, "Oh, man she is one hell of a fighter."

"Actually, I am really here with her sister. You see I go to Beacon, and she invited me to come to Patch for the Winter break we are currently on . . . although Patch is not that cold, surprisingly."

"Sheesh, why do you hold all this stuff in? Didn't know Ruby was back in town. Haven't seen her for a while. Last time she was here." He begins to chuckle and shake his head, continuing to speak with small amounts of laughter. "She came down that isle right there . . . and she just finished making her Crescent Rose . . . I swear, she accidentally opened that thing and OOOOH BOY the mess that girl made! Ironically nothing broke either, but I was furious, and I go over to her. I remember my exact words 'Little girl, you have any idea the damage you caused?' And you know what she says to me? She says 'sorry' and holds out a can to me." He begins laughing harder than earlier.

_That sounds familiar . . . just like when I first met her._

"Sounds like something she would do." I giggle, his laughter becoming slightly contagious with how friendly and conversational he is.

"Alright, anyway. Sorry for playing dumb earlier, but what's the Schnee heiress doing here on Patch? Shouldn't you be in Atlas?" He stills talks friendly, although I have a question of my own for now.

"First off, may I know why you pretended to not know who I was?" I raise an eyebrow at him, and he shrugs his shoulders.

"Fair enough. When you turned around I knew who you were by the snow white hair and the scar. Haven't heard too many good things about the Schnee Dust Company, but I rather not judge the heiress by her parents crappy tendencies . . . no offense."

"None taken. I agree with you in fact. Like I said, I am here with my partner from Beacon, Ruby. I wanted to see her home and meet her family. It is the best way to build team chemistry between us since we are to be partners for the next four years."

_Weiss, you are lying through your teeth it seems._

"Well, I hope Patch teaches you well." His ears raise when a bell rings, and he quickly turns around and walks a few feet before coming back with three sealed packs of what I asked for. "Hope you wanted them cut, that's how we serve them, here."

"That's fine. I plan on making a salad with them, so that lessens my workload." I holds my hands out while he puts the sealed lettuce, tomatoes, and onions in my hands.

"Not a problem, those are on the house. Tell Ruby that Ted says hello, alright?"

"Thank you very much, I will. She was supposed to come with me, but she saw someone she knew at the gym, and decided to go say hi while I continue over here." I explain, turning to leave.

"She has pretty short attention span sometimes, believe me, everyone in town knows. She's more popular here than Yang!" He lets out another heavy set of laughter that startles be slightly with how loud he is. I thank him once more and make my exit from the super market.

As I leave I turn left and make my way back towards the gym. Deep down the street I can also see Blake who is about two blocks away, but is really a block away from the gym, which is also my destination. I slow down a bit to match her pace, and eventually we both meet in front of the entrance.

"Where's Little Red?" She asks, looking down at the three packagings in my arms. "And why didn't you ask for a plastic bag?"

"I . . . forgot." I answer, since I was more in a rush to get back to Ruby.

"You forgot where your own girlfriend is?" She asks with slight startle in her voice.

"No, you genius! I forgot to ask for a bag. Ruby is in the gym. She saw someone she knew, and wanted to say hi."

"I see, well, we might as well go in, then." Blake shrugs.

Just as we are about to turn to the doorway, we hear it get pushed open, followed by frantic pleas from Ruby.

"She's not like that! Leave her alone!"

I turn my head, eyes widening to see an angry cheetah Faunus walking towards me with a fist clenched. Within a second I see the left arm being winded up and thrown at me from a boxing stance, a stance that nearly completely mimics Yang. I quickly raise my left hand up, focusing my aura the best I can, and just in time to prepare one of my more powerful glyphs in the palm of my hand. The moment her fist makes contact with it, her fist goes flying back, leaving Ruby in shock to see me using the defensive stance I adapted during my spar with Yang over a month ago.

"What's the big idea!?" I shout, looking at the tall form that appears to be higher than Yang.

"Last thing we need is a damn Faunus hater in Patch!" She snarls, starting to advance again but Ruby takes a hold on one of the angry girl's arms.

"It would be more logical to say that if she were not conversing with me. The Faunus labor that her company abuses does not at all explain who she is as a person." Blake's words are soft and calm while she stands in front of me to block the advances of the other girl.

"And who the hell are you? I've never seen you in Patch." The tall cheetah Faunus asks, with still-lingering anger.

"I'm Yang's girlfriend."

* * *

Oh boy . . . I think we all know who it is that just tried to punch Weiss.

Anyway, please review the chapter guys :D You know I love getting reviews from you guys.

Okay, so the easter egg that you all missed from Chapter 48 was:

Qrow adding random vitams and protein to whatever he made.

It's a Kuroko's Basketball reference from the Team Manager (Forget her name) who does the exact same thing . . . leading the entire team to hate her cooking.


	51. An Explosion

**_POV: RUBY ROSE_**

**_Chapter 51 – An Explosion_**

_I wanted to take Weiss to the spot in the river today . . . but I guess it can't be helped, oh well._

I sigh quietly enough that Weiss doesn't hear me. We are just coming up on Yang's favorite gym. I look at Weiss, seeing her peek into the gym and become impressed at what she is seeing. I turn my head to see what is going on, and instantly I spot someone I know in the ring. She's the same girl that came to visit Yang that one day. I'm not sure why I remember her so vividly, but there is no doubt that it is her.

"Hey! I know that one! I'm going to go say hi!"

"Ruby, I rather not go into such a barbaric dwelling. That is something meant for Yang." Weiss says.

_Don't judge a book by its cover, Princess . . . the people here are super nice!_

"Then just keep going. The supermarket is another two blocks from here. I'll catch up. In the back of the supermarket is another counter where they'll give you any vegetables and stuff you need!" _Teddy's there, so I know she'll be in good hands over there._ "Okay, bye!" I take off immediately for the door. I heard Weiss begin to say something, but I am sure if it is super important she'll come in to tell me.

The moment I enter half of the people in the gym turn to look at me, although the eyes of a large, muscular man with pale skin, a black mullet, black shorts, and a black muscle shirt catches my attention. He walks over to me with his arms folded, flexing his biceps and triceps to flaunt whatever muscle he has. As he reaches me, I am forced to look almost straight up since he stands at about 6'8".

"Hey Brandon!" I shout with a bright smile on my face.

"Well, well, well. Finally decided to come see us little folk on Patch? How've ya been tiger?" He smiles, dropping to a knee and giving me a tight hug. It is nothing compared to Yang's, that nearly break my back with each one, but firm enough to make it impossible to move.

"On Winter break! Yang's in the Laundromat setting clothes to wash, then she'll be here right after."

"Good to hear. Want to get in the ring? You know we'll go easy on you." He asks while letting me go and standing back up, several of the other people in the gym waving at me.

All of them know me through Yang. On weekends or during school breaks from Signal, and afterschool I would come by to watch Yang fight. Some people would make bets on some of the fights, and Yang would make sure whoever bet against her would buy me cookies if and when she won. The gym became my favorite place to hang out, but one day Yang stopped coming, and I stopped as well since it was no fun without my big sis.

"Ummmm, I really don't know how to box . . . When I have my sweetheart I'm the best there is!" I state proudly, earning a laugh from Brandon.

"Sweetheart, eh? Got yourself a girlfriend?" He asks with a snicker in his voice.

"Huh? Oh! Sorry . . ." I blush at my slight slip of words. "I sorta call Crescent Rose – my scythe – Sweetheart. I mean . . . I do have a girlfriend now but-"

"Aha! It's about time. Found yourself a pretty one in Vale, did ya?" He chuckles.

When I came out of the closet, some people from my school made it a point to make it public. At the time I was already pretty popular in town for being the bottomless pit of a cookie eater, along with being unmatched in terms of hyper-ness, and unfortunately clumsiness. When word reached the gym about me, nothing changed. Most the people here are in their young twenties, all the way up to late thirties. With them being older and all, they shrugged off what was being said about me and everything remained normal.

One day some jerk from the school that Yang punched came over for a boxing match and saw me sitting down eating through a box of cookies that Yang won me, and made a wisecrack that I will never forget. '_Hey look, it's that carpet muncher'_. Yang was in the ring at the time, but when she heard it she was on her way out before Brandon stopped her. I watched as several of the people in the gym surrounded him, but before anything else could happen someone covered my eyes and told me it's best not to see what's about to go on.

. . . He never looked at me for the rest of the year.

"Well, technically she's from Atlas." I clarify, feeling my cheeks redden while I think of Weiss.

"Alright, kiddo. I see you blushin'. I'll stop questioning for now, but I want to at least know the lucky girl's name. You need to bring her to Patch sometime. You know we don't bite here." Brandon pats my shoulder and walks back to the ringside to call up someone else to fight while the person who just won the last match hops out the ring, taking off the boxing tape and protective headgear.

"Ruby, was it?" the person walking towards me asks. It takes me a moment to realize that it is the person who I saw from outside. After her headgear is taken off, I see the familiar cat ears that remind me of Blake's, but the spotted design on them remind me otherwise. She is about two or three inches taller than Yang, and has a confidence in her walk that rivals my sister.

"Mhm! You remember me!" I smile.

_Crap . . . I never did learn her name!_

She is wearing an orange sports bra and orange boxing shorts, but is wearing no footwear at the moment. I assume she has her shoes somewhere else.

"Psh, not easy to forget you to be honest." She says while lowering down to a knee, matching my height, "How's Yang doing?"

"She's doing fine. She may be here soon. She's just washing laundry for now."

"Oh? Is that so?" She asks, looking at me with her multi-colored eyes. For a moment I feel a sudden tranquility shoot through my body, and seconds later I feel myself become dizzy and begin to collapse with her quickly catching me and laughing, "Sorry about that, wasn't sure if it still worked or not."

"W-What was that?" I ask, a bit startled as she lifts me to my feet and walks me over to a bench to sit down with her.

"Heheh, my semblance actually. I can calm someone down with a stare. After some practice I've been able to focus more aura into my eyes, and enhance it over time. What I did to you was the second level to my semblance. Anyway, I heard Brandon ask if you want to step in the ring." She says while sitting next to me. I make the mistake of looking into her eyes again, but I don't feel the effects from earlier hit me a second time.

"So, how many 'levels' do you have to it? And he did . . . but I'm not confident fighting hand-to-hand. You've seen my Crescent Rose, right?"

"Four. As for confidence, come on. You won't be confident until you start practicing. You won't have that overgrown scythe at your side forever. Look, I taught Yang boxing. Well to be exact, I taught her the footwork, how to shift her center of gravity with a punch, and the different punches she can throw and transition into. She did all the cardio workouts herself, the muscle training, and she got herself some fine abs since Signal." I hear her begin to purr, and I clear my throat, drawing her out of her daydream and snapping her gaze to me.

"Um . . . ew. I rather not hear about my sister's abs in that way." I shiver, in slight discomfort.

"Sorry about that. Anyway, come on. I'll start you off on focus mitts. How does that sound?"

_She's so persistent! Guess I'm stuck._

"Well . . . I guess I could . . . to maybe pass the time."

"Awesome! Brandon! Get me some gloves for Ruby!" She smiles, appearing to be completely hyped up that I agreed.

She stands up and begins walking towards ringside while I stand to follow. Brandon comes over and holds out a pair of gloves that she takes from him.

"These are the smallest we got. Kid, if you plan on coming here more I'll make sure to get you your own pair. You know everyone would love to see more of you. Go easy on her, Shun." Brandon smiles at me.

_Shun! That's her name!_

"Psh, you act like I don't know how to hold back." She looks at him with a blank stare.

"You don't. That's why I'm glad you're letting her wear the gloves." Brandon says with a shake of his head.

"Umm . . . I don't feel too safe now." I gulp, Shun already having the gloves secured on me.

"He's just being an ass. Show me your best boxing stance." She smiles.

"You're going to love her, Shun." Brandon chuckles and walks away.

I take a deep breath, imagining how Yang usually stands at the start of a fight, and try to picture it reversed since I am a lefty. I slide my left foot back, twist my hips accordingly, and bring my gloves up to cover most of my face while tucking my elbows in tightly to my body. Yang always has me help her with focus mitts, so seeing her revert to the stance I am currently mirroring leaves me under the assumption that this is proper form.

"Hm . . . I think you may want to switch the other way, you have it backwards." She says after looking at my hands and feet.

"But I'm a lefty . . . Yang stands the other way and she's right hand . . . I thought-"

"A fellow southpaw!" She begins to laugh and look over her shoulder to see Brandon is gone, "The old bastard is right, I like you already. Alright, we'll start off simple. You know what a 'jab' is?"

"Most basic punch in boxing. It's a straight punch using the leading hand." I say with a smile on my face, which is hidden behind the gloves since I am still in a boxing stance.

"You sound like a dictionary. Who taught you?"

"I'd watch boxing with Yang sometimes, and I got confused at all the terms and stuff, so I was bored and looked them all up." I pause, letting out a sigh, "Okay, I could deal with that . . . the real reason is because I was sick of Yang laughing at me when I kept calling a hook a 'sweep punch' and an uppercut a 'rocket punch'." My explanation makes Shun laugh and collapse onto the floor, clenching her stomach for air.

"Are you kidding me!? A . . . A sweep . . . punch!?" She shouts out between her laughing fit. Her loud voice draws the attention of a few people who give her a funny look, but eventually ignore her and go back to their training regimen.

"I get it, it's funny. Can we please start?" Really I don't care for starting, I just want her to stop laughing at me. At my question she sits up and shakes her head a few times, fighting away a few more giggles before holding up her bare hands.

"Alright, show me your jab." She raises her hands up, nodding to me.

"Wait, you're not gonna wear focus mitts?" I ask, making her chuckle again.

"Nah, I hate having any extra weight on my arms . . . it bothers me." She raise her hands slightly higher, gesturing me to go on.

I take a deep breath, and let out a sharp exhale as I send my right hand into her left and pull it back as fast as I can. She has a shocked look on her face and gestures me to do so again, which I do and also getting a similar reaction.

"Ruby . . . you should try boxing." She states flatly while I continue to jab into her hand, having a short pause between attempts.

"Why?" I ask her, stopping for a moment, but she quickly gestures for me to keep going.

"I'm not sure how much Yang's improved . . . but she's always been a power puncher. I would go out on a limb here and say you punch much faster than her. I mean . . . you have no power in your punches compared to her, but that's a given." While she talks I keep going, taking shorter intervals between each punch when I become comfortable with the motion.

"Does Yang . . . talk about me at all?" Her question makes me pause. The look in her eyes shows there is a meaning to my answer, and I bite my lip, being unable to answer any other way but honestly.

"She used to . . . back when she was going to Signal. She always talked about her gym buddy, and how the two of you always end up competing for who can do a workout with more weights, or finish it faster. That had to have been you, but since then she hasn't" From my answer I watch the cheetah ears lower, and she nods her head at me.

"Yeah, can't blame her. Anyway, now that I think about it, she may not be too keen on leaving her lil sister with me. You said she'll be here soon. Ask her if it's alright to do some focus mitting with me then." She reaches over and begins to tug the gloves off of my hands.

"Huh? Why wouldn't she?"

"Well, we aren't on the greatest terms right now." She finishes pulling off both gloves and ruffles my hair before she turns around to bring the gloves back to Brandon, wherever he is. In the meantime I go back to one of the benches along the wall and decide to watch the practice match going on inside the ring. A few minutes later I see Shun walking towards me and takes a seat next to me on the bench.

"So . . . What happened between you and Yang?" I ask out of curiosity.

"If she hasn't told you, then she doesn't want you to know. Don't be nosy." She tells me and pokes me on the nose with the second knuckle of her index finger.

"But she's my sister I should know!" I shout in protest.

"Tough luck . . . wait is that?" I watch as Shun looks over my head to the door with a growing scowl on her face. I turn my head to see her looking at Weiss who is just stopping and starting to talk to someone, but the other person being blocked by the doorway.

"Oh, that's Weiss." I say with a smile, but when I look back at Shun she is already walking past me and I stand up to follow.

"Weiss . . . Isn't she a Schnee?" Shun asks, speeding up her walk so I have to jog to follow her long strides.

"Yes she is, but she's totally awesome! You'll get along with her easy!"

"Last thing I need is to make friends with the hier to a Faunus hating. I bet she's just like the rest of 'em!" Shun growls. She pushes open the door to the gym and continues walking, making me scream in an attempt to stop her.

"She's not like that! Leave her alone!"

My words fall on deaf ears, except for Weiss who turns her head, just in time to see a wound up left punch going straight towards her. I see Weiss raise up her left hand, and just before the punch connects a small, solid glyph appearing in it and smacking the punch away with no effort.

_Wait . . . that was . . ._

"What's the big idea!?" Weiss screams, eying down Shun while I stand there in complete shock. I didn't think Weiss would ever be able to do that again. It makes me a bit nervous to see her adopt that same stance Cinder uses, but with the lack of the glowing blue eyes I feel much more relieved.

"Last thing we need is a damn Faunus hater in Patch!" Shun screams, her fists clenched, although she takes a slight step back after having her punch brushed off.

_If you listened to me, you would know that Weiss isn't a Faunus hater . . ._

From my peripherals I can see Blake starting to move until she is standing in front of Weiss.

"It would be more logical to say that if she were not conversing with me. The Faunus labor that her company abuses does not at all explain who she is as a person." I have no idea how Blake is able to speak so calmly after Weiss almost got punched, but there is a focused look in her eye that never leaves Shun while she speaks.

"And who the hell are you? I've never seen you in Patch."

"I'm Yang's girlfriend." Blake says flatly.

"I see . . . so you're the one who's dating my little Sunflower." Shun says with a chuckle.

_Sunflower? Yang?_

"That would be correct, except she isn't yours." Blake says, reaching behind her back to move Weiss out of the way.

"You have guts, I'll give you that. Give me a reason why I shouldn't send you back into next year with one punch?" Shun has a growing growl in her throat, that eventually becomes shiver inducing.

"That's easy. You didn't strike me when I announced I am Yang's girlfriend. You either have no feelings for Yang anymore, which would make you striking me of no value. That, or you have feelings for Yang still and wish to stay in whatever good graces she may, or you may think she has you in." Blake speaks with her hands at her side, completely confident that nothing will turn into a brawl.

"The one thing I hate more than Faunus haters are people who think they know me! You've never met me. You've never been in my shoes, within my mindset, within my life. What makes you think you know anything about me!?" Shun keeps yelling, with a slight break in her voice. I want to get around her and go to Weiss, but at the same time I feel like me stepping between them will make things progress at a bad pace than it already is.

"Yang spoke of you in high regard in the Laundromat. As a matter of fact, it brings me to a question that I will prefer you answer willingly."

"And if I refuse to answer?" I can't see Shun, but I am sure she is smirking with the way she said that.

"Then I won't hesitate to beat the answer out of you." Blake snaps in response, then reverts back to her calm, slow way of talking. "However, it's your choice."

After a long moment of silence Shun reaches behind me and gestures me to pass her.

"I'll talk to you alone. We can chat in the gym." Shun's voice is a lot quieter, and as I walk by her I see her hand swipe past my face and land on my head, ruffling it. "Behave yourself, kid."

As I walk by I see Blake give me her confident grin and walk into the gym with Shun, leaving me with Weiss who looks at me and then looks away.

"One week." She says without making eye contact with me.

"Huh?"

"One week since I've been able to make that glyph. It's nowhere near as strong as before, though."

"Weiss, I don't care about the glyph. I was worried about you. Can't you make glyphs anyway? I've seen you make four at one time."

"This one's different Ruby. It's practically indestructible. You saw how much effort it took Yang to break that other one. This glyph has the same exact durability, but it doesn't have the same mass . . . and with practice I will be able to make it larger over time." Weiss explains, walking over and hugging me. "Who is that girl anyway?"

"Well, she use to go to Signal with Yang . . . I mean, I was in Signal at the time too . . . I was a freshman, but I never met her in the school." I wrap my arms around Weiss and smile, giving her back a few pokes that make her wiggle in my grip.

"Stop it, Dolt! Oh, Ted says hi." She says as the memory dawns onto her.

"Teddy! I knew he'd take good care of you!"

"Wait, his name is Teddy?" Weiss asks while we separate from the hug.

"Nope. I use to call him teddy bear when I was younger, and then he just asked me to call him Ted because the name was a bit embarrassing and was catching on among everyone else . . . so now most people know him as Ted thanks to me." I smile, leaning in to try to get another hug from Weiss, but she gently pushes me away.

"Not another one, Ruby. You know I am not the biggest PDA person."

"Huh? Like the file type?"

"That's a PDF, genius. I mean Public Displays of Affection." Weiss rolls her eyes at me.

"Oh come on! Everyone here is super nice! At least come with me to the bakery. It's across the street." I point over Weiss shoulder to the town's bakery. It's a pretty small place, but they have anything sweet that I could ever want to eat.

"Fine." Weiss sighs and begins walking across the empty street while I enter a jog to catch up to her before slowing to a skip to pass her, and then a walk so I can get the door and hold it open for her.

When I pull the door open it triggers a small bell that rings and lets the store clerk know someone is entering. Before Weiss goes inside she looks left and right, and takes a quick peek into the store. Whatever she was looking for she appears to be satisfied with and leans over to give me a quick kiss on the cheek. After she enters I follow behind her, a bright smile on my face.

"Helloooo, anybody home?" I shout as I walk in behind Weiss, not seeing anyone at the counter.

"Dolt, don't yell, that's rude!" Weiss snaps at me.

"But! She'd kill me if I didn't come see her the first time I come into town!" I protest, and at the same moment I see a woman about Blake's height come out from the back and smile the moment we make eye contact. She has long black hair, although it is turned into a bun to keep within the hairnet she is wearing, along with the white bakery uniform. She has brown eyes, a somewhat tan complexion, and a happy-go-lucky smile on her face.

"My, my, my, if it isn't Ruby Rose in the flesh! Finally back from prancing about in Vale, eh? Let me guess, Yang just whooped someone's ass . . . again, and you're here to claim the winnings." She asks while coming from around the counter to hug me.

"Not today Ann, just wanted to come say hi and all. Oh, and this is my partner Weiss. She's from Atlas." I point over to Weiss who pinches the sides of her dress and curtseys to Ann.

"It's a pleasure." Weiss says, keeping a warm smile on her face that looks somewhat forced in my eyes.

"No need for any of that fancy high-class mumbo jumbo here. I'm just a baker, been the family trade for . . . sheesh, I rather not think how long. Anyway, I'm in the back making a fresh trey, you want some that I have out, Ruby? I need to make room. Haven't sold nearly as many cookies with you being away. You and Yang brought me the best business."

"Wow, Ruby . . . you really bought that many cookies?" Weiss asks in complete shock.

"Her buy? Please, her family would have gone bankrupt. Yang and her fancy fighting, the girl makes anyone who bets against her buy Ruby cookies when she wins . . . and I will say I can't remember the last time Yang fought and Ruby didn't get something to nibble on." Ann giggles at her fancy way of saying that Yang never loses.

"Sounds like something the brute would do for her sister. Oh, could I get 6 chocolate chip cookies for Ruby?" Weiss reaches into her dress pocket and pulls out her wallet, but Ann shakes her head.

"Oh, no you don't. I was already fixin' on giving them to Ruby. Don't need one of her Beacon friends wasting lien. I'll be right back." Ann disappears behind the counter and begins to package a box of cookies, leaving Weiss with a slightly disheartened look while she puts her wallet away.

I walk over to Weiss and smile at her, though at the same moment we see a flash come from the doorway, and when we look at it our eyes widen to see a blinding orange light from across the street, and more importantly within the gym. Weiss and I look at each other, then dash out the door. I semblance my way across the street and hop in through one of the completely shattered windows thanks to what must have been an aura burst from Yang. When I get inside all I see are bodies scattered around the boxing ring, along with Yang standing in the middle, panting for air. A closer look and I can see Blake is out cold against one of the corners, and Shun is unconscious against the other.

"Yang . . . What did you do?" I ask in a frightened tone, and my sister looks at me with her red eyes still panting and trying to calm down.

"I exploded."

* * *

Another brief quote to end it :D But in a totally different atmosphere!

I know you guys are annoyed at reading this next sentence . . . but I need to:

Please review! - there, I kept it short and sweet this time.

Will Blake and Shun be okay?

Will Yang become single after this event?

Will Ruby remember to go get her cookies?

Find out on the next chapter of . . . something other than Dragon . . . Ball . . . Z


	52. Burning Affections

**_POV: YANG XIAO LONG_**

_**Chapter 52 – Burning Affections**_

"Rubes, I think Weiss may be getting lonely back there. Should go catch up to her." I whisper to my sis who is standing to my left.

"Fine, fine. You two are probably gonna start flirting anyway." Ruby giggles and slows down to let Weiss catch up to her. We are already entering the town, and my nerves have been catching up to me with what could happen should Blake and Shun meet up.

"Alright, Yang. What is it?" I hear the soft monotone of Blake to my right, and I turn my head to see her looking at me with an accusing glare.

"Are you sure you want to meet her? I don't want to see you two fight. I really don't." I sigh. Deep down, in the bottom of my heart I still have feelings for Shun. Nothing that would ever make me consider going back to her, but enough that it would pain me to see her get hurt, regardless of how cold I was to her yesterday, or how awkward it felt being near her.

"If it makes you feel any better. I won't get into any serious confrontation with her unless provoked."

"Doesn't help at all. She can be a hot head. She probably has a shorter fuse than me. You already don't like her, and I don't want you two fighting, that's final." I look at Blake with a firm stare, she sighs and pats my shoulder, which signals me to take a deep breath . . . my eyes turned red again.

"No promises, Yang. I'd appreciate if you'd trust me a little more, however." Blake keeps looking ahead while we walk.

"It's not about trust, Blake. Believe me, I trust you with everything I have. I just . . ."

"At the end of the day she is still you're first love, correct?" Blake asks without a break in her voice. Hearing her say that makes me lower me face forward and hope she doesn't get mad at me for the fact that she is right.

"It's not-"

"Don't lie to me, Yang. I still feel for my first partner. But the life we lived changed him for the worse, and I needed to break my ties with him . . . and what I thought was a noble cause. If I saw him right now I'd surely freeze. I wouldn't know what to say, do, or think. He knew me inside and out. So don't you tell me you still don't have feelings for that girl. If that's the case, then I fear for what would happen to your thoughts of me should we ever break up."

"We're never breaking up, Blake." I quickly respond, gritting my teeth that she would even utter such a thought out loud.

"You can't predict the future, Yang. Let's be real here. We don't know what may happen in the future. I have a past that can catch up to me at any time. We could both have enemies in the shadows we don't even know about."

"We . . . are not . . . breaking up . . . ever. End of topic." I stop as we reach the corner of the block and I stop to turn around, putting on my best smile for Ruby and Weiss.

"Alright, you two." I call out in a loud voice while they catch up to us, then switch my attention to Ruby first. "This is mainly for Weiss, Ruby. You know your way around. Just no going to the end, got it?"

"You never let me see what's down there, Yang! I wanna know!" Ruby debates, but I stare her down until she looks away.

_Rubes, I think you'd be smart enough to know I don't want you going there 'cause it's not a place for you. Same as the industrial part of Vale . . . not an environment I want you in._

"Alright, Weiss." I turn my head to her, "Laundromat is on the next block, can't miss it. Across the street and another three blocks after the Laundromat is the kickboxing gym I practiced at. You go another block after that and there is a deli that makes epic sandwiches. Ever need something quick and tasty, you go there. Finally, and I believe this is what you want to know most, is that a block after the deli is a supermarket." I stop and think about any place else she may want to know about, but for now that will suffice. I'm sure she'll ask Ruby for anything else.

"I'm going to set my clothes to wash, and some of Blake's" I say while clenching the strings to the large sack of clothes tighter while I keep it slung over my shoulder. "Afterwards the two of us will be in the Gym. If you two need anything, Blake has her scroll. I forgot mine. Got it?"

"Yup, yup!" Ruby says with a smile and begins to cross the street while Weiss answers right after.

"Crystal." And begins to follow Ruby.

As the two cross the street, Blake and I continue to walk down the next block until we come to the door of the Laundromat. The framing for the windows and the outer wall are all a green color, and through the window all you can see are the decorative white tiles, white walls, and white machines all over the place. If finding Waldo in a candy cane factory was tough, try finding Weiss in a Laundromat . . . I'm sure it would be equally as challenging. As we get to the single door, Blake holds it open and gestures me inside. I smile, leaning over to give her a kiss, but she lifts a finger to my lips to stop me. I guess she is mad at me for my tone earlier, but smug look on her face says otherwise.

"Set the clothes to wash first. We'll never get it done if you start kissing me now." I feel her hand press to my back and shove me inside, leaving me a smile across my face. The door is placed towards the right side of the store, so when I walk in I am met with the store counter to my right. I drop the bag down and ring the nearby bell, waiting for the attendant to come out.

_Glad I brought cash today or else Blake would kill me if she found out how I paid to clean my clothes._

"Just a minute!" I a sweet, bashful voice calls from behind an open door.

"What are we waiting for, Yang?" Blake asks after walking next to me and leaning on the counter.

"Oh, the store owner likes to keep all the detergent and stuff behind the counter. Plus I use a different chemical for my clothing to keep 'em nice and colorful."

"Yang . . . you wear black most of the time."

"And I wear orange and yellow!" I defend.

A few seconds later there are audible footsteps coming from behind the counter. When I look back I am met with the sweet, green eyes of the attendant. She has beautiful blond hair with long bangs that cover that cover the left side of her face, aside from her lips and jawline. Her hair is long and straight, going all the way down to her waist, although she is about 5'3, rivaling the height of Ruby and Weiss.

I can't see her shoes, but she is wearing her ususual crystal blue, two buttoned blouse that expands along the bottom ti mesh in with the short frill skirt she is wearing. The collar of the outfit has a more fluffy design and is a pure white color with the material being significantly porous.

"Y-Y-Yang . . . What are you doing here?" She asks with a creeping blush across her face.

"Came to wash my clothes, duh." I answer with a chuckle.

"Y-you know what I mean, jerk. Why are you back in Patch? I mean . . . Aren't you supposed to be in Beacon?" She speaks softly

"On Winter break, Angel. This is Blake by the way." I gesture to my right to Blake who is still leaning on the counter. Angel turns her head and gasps in surprise for not noticing her. "S-S-Sorry! I'm Angelika. It's a pleasure to meet you, Blake." She smiles, extending out her hand which Blake shakes and smiles in return.

"Don't be sorry. I'm not easy to notice. Pleasure, by the way." Blake responds and goes back to being an onlooker to the conversation.

"So, what do you need, Yang?" Angel asks.

"The usual, you know what I use. One for whites, one for colors, and one to keep my dark clothing nice and shadowy." I say, and before I am done Angel peeks over her shoulder to see if she has the bottles I use in front, or if she needs to go back through the door and look through the inventory.

"Okay, there they are." She says more to herself than to me. I watch as she turns around, walking to three different groups to take out the three bottles I want and places them on the counter. She begins coming out to the front of the counter and I quickly try to stop her.

"A-actually, I have cash Angel." I say while she is just getting around the counter and looks at me. From here I can see the white flats she is wearing.

"S-since when do you pay with cash? I thought that you liked to-"

"Well, about that, you see-"

"Oh? And what is it that you like to do, Yang?" Blake whispers into my ear. I can feel her breath brush over my neck, and I shiver with fear and nervousness. "Please share, Angelika. I'm very interested in hearing."

I look at Angel, hoping she sees my look for her not to, but at Blake's request she looks down and begins to kick her right foot over the tiles of the floor, adopting a very bashful stance.

"W-Well . . . Y-Yang came here a lot and well . . . she didn't . . . h-h-have money one time. So, after me saying no to her like a million times that I won't let her wash for free . . . well . . . she grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and k-k-k-"

"Kissed you." Blake completes, making me wince at her cold tone.

"Y-yeah. So . . . I really liked it and well . . . Yang would k-k-ki- . . . do that from then on . . . as my preference." Angel's cheeks are a beat red when she looks back up towards me, or rather towards Blake who is peeking over my shoulder.

"I see. That's sweet of you, Yang." She says to me in a sweet voice that is practically mocking me. I can't turn to face Blake right now. I'm far too terrified of the look she is giving me.

"So, Angelika . . . did she use tongue each time?" Blake asks, and again I wince, seeing Angel blush more and nod her head slowly.

"Hand on the back of the head? Other on your lower back?" She keeps piling on the questions.

"Yes . . . b-but sometimes she would r-reach under my skirt. W-Wait! W-W-Why am I telling you this?"

_Yes, Angel! Why are you telling her this!? _

"I think you got lost in the moment." Blake says flatly, "Anyway . . . I'm sure Yang would love to give you a kiss. Isn't that right, Yang?" Blake asks me.

"What do you mean, Blake? I can-"

I pause, feeling Blake's nails press into my lower back.

"I . . . can?" I whimper in confusion, and her nails lessen their pressure.

"I don't see why not. Just don't go making it last an hour." She whisper into my ear and pulls away from my neck. I know she's directly behind me, but then I feel her lips pressing to my neck, and out of nervousness I flinch.

"Go on." She whispers to me with sweetened words, "You'll just make it up to me right after. Do it like you always do."

I can't help but feel like I am in a trap. I have no idea what Blake is planning, but I bet it's just her trying to find a reason to break it off with me right now, and she is stupid if she thinks I'm going to kiss someone else when I am with her. I take a deep breath, and in a firm tone I begin speaking.

"Angel, hate to say this, but I can't. AH!" I feel Blake's nails digging into my back, making me flinch and yelp in slight pain.

"But . . . w-why not? I-I mean . . . I-I still look okay . . . right?" Her green eyes look into mine, close to baring tears. "Y-You still think I'm cute . . . right?"

"It's not that . . . I sort of have a-FUCK!" I shout as Blake's nails dig deeper, and I can hear her telling me to shut up, but I want to prove to Blake I'm serious about her.

"I-I-I . . . w-w-we can d-d-do that t-too . . ." She looks down at the ground with a bright smile along her lips while she is most likely thinking of what I am capable of doing in the bedroom. All of which I have to say must be far underestimated. I always surpass expectations.

I take a deep breath, reaching behind me to grab Blake's hands and pull them away from my back before she ends up bloodying my clothes. I pull Blake next to me, looking at her yellow eyes.

"What's the big idea? That hurts!" I shout, and Blake just rolls her eyes.

"Idiot. You think I want you to just quit being who you are?" She folds her arms. "Yes, we are going out, but I don't expect you to stop being the flirty blonde you already are. Especially when we haven't even gone as far as I am sure you're dying to be."

"Y-You two are a couple!? I-I'm sorry Blake! I mean . . . I didn't know that . . . This is not a good way to meet someone." Angel turns to her right, hiding her face thanks to her long bangs that cascade along the left half of her face.

"What are you talking about, Blake? I quit all that for you! I'm serious about you. Since the dance I knew that everything I do will change. I knew what going out with you meant, and I didn't care! I still don't care!" I shout, my eyes turning red. Throughout my entire rage Blake has had a growing smile on her face, until finally she reaches a hand out and touches my cheek. The feeling of her hand instantly snaps me out of my anger and lets me take a long breath to calm down.

"Idiot. There are some things I am willing to forgive . . . especially if I am present. I trust you far too much to let a kiss tear me from you." Her words are kind, but they only cut deeper into my heart.

"That's not it, Blake."

I push her against the counter with one hand, the other wrapped firmly around her waist and pulling her against me. Her eyes widen while she looks up at me with her face inches from mine.

"Blake . . . I just can't do it anymore." I whisper. Out the corner of my eye I can spot Angel standing there in shock at what is going on, but I could care less if the entire town were watching right now.

"And . . . why is that?" She asks, tilting her head to one side.

"There are few people I can still kiss after being with you. I can count on one hand the people who've left me completely breathless, and sorry Angel." I turn my head a moment to look at the green-eyed girl, "But you're not one of them, although you are one of the cutest girls I know."

Angel nods her head at me and smiles. She quickly makes her way behind the counter and begins to disappear behind the door, but before she does she turns around to look at me, still holding a bright smile on her face.

"I knew I wasn't that special, Yang . . . I just really like the way you k-k-kiss me . . . and umm . . . t-the wash is free . . . J-Just tell me how much when you're done." And following those words she disappears into the back room. The moment she is out of sight I look back down at Blake and sigh.

"I can't act like I use to . . . not with every single person I ever encountered . . . It doesn't feel right, Kittycat. Aside from you there are only two people I could show any affections to, and even then I don't want to. You're everything I want, and everything I need. When I said we aren't breaking up . . . I meant that. I'll do anything to keep you with me. You were right . . . I do still have feelings for Shun, but she broke me, Blake. I don't care how many hearts I've broken . . . none of those heartaches could compare to what she did to me. We went out for who knows how long . . . possibly two years . . . and one day I wanted to show her that I . . . that I only need her." I feel tears swelling in my eyes. Blake is looking at me with a softened gaze, realizing just how much this all means to me.

"Yang . . . I had no idea tha-"

"No, you don't have an idea! She took me to her house once . . . and we almost did it . . . ALMOST. I wasn't ready . . . I didn't think I would ever be. I was always confident, always flirtatious, but the fact of the matter was that I was still a virgin. After all that I finally felt like she'd never leave me, and I did it."

My tears begin to flow down my cheeks until finally they drip onto Blake's chest. My vision is a haze, and her beautiful eyes blend in with the color of her skin. Every color in front of me meshing together until I can no longer tell where her clothing begins, or where it ends.

"A few months later . . . when she graduated from Signal . . . she left me. She looked me in the eye and told me that it was all just a 'fun ride' and she wasn't looking for anything 'long lasting'."

I shake my head, starting to chuckle.

"She occupied my entire life. We trained together, went everywhere together. I went to all her track meets, she went to all my boxing matches in the Gym. Hell, she's a kickboxer, but she taught me all the basics of boxing and I took it to the next level. She . . . was . . . everything to me."

I drop my head down onto Blake's chest. I feel her hands touch the back of my neck, but I raise my head to brush them off.

"I was attached to her, Blake . . . and now I'm even more attached to you. When I said we would never break up . . . I meant I would do anything it takes to keep us together . . . anything. I don't want you fighting Shun . . . because I may very well hospitalize her myself for touching you . . . and then breakdown knowing I knocked out the person who I had all those feelings for in the past."

My grip on Blake's waist loosens and I begin to pull away to go do the laundry and take my mind off of things. I reach down to pick up the bag and walk to the farthest corner of the room to do my laundry. I reach into my pocket, pulling out 3 lien and placing one into 3 adjacent machines to open them up. I open the bag and begin to separate everything into the three machines. Whites into one, blacks in another, and colors in the last, until the bag is completely empty. It's then I realize that I left the three bottles I need on the counter in the front, but the last thing I want to do is face Blake. My head is just now clearing, and I rather not have her scold me.

"If you're going to avoid me by coming this far . . . shouldn't leave something you need next to me." I look to my right, seeing Blake struggling to hold the three bottles in her arms. I quickly move over and take them from her, placing each bottle on top of the according washing machine.

"You use a cupful, right?" Blake asks, and I answer her with a wordless nod of my head. While I slowly open the bottle for the first washer, she makes short work of doing the same for the other two and setting them both to begin the wash cycle. After I set mine to go I turn my head to look at her, and she is leaning against one of the washers with her arms folded while looking at me.

"I'm not mad at you, if that's what you're expecting. Honestly, I thought you were mad at me, but the way you walked off said otherwise. Actually, you should be mad at me. I'm sorry, Yang." She speaks in her usual, relaxed voice, but her last three words are spoken in more of a hush. The type of hush that is used to to conceal an oncoming voice crack.

"What are you sorry for, Blake? You have nothing to be sorry for. If anything I sho-"

"Stop it, Yang. I was inconsiderate to try to get you to carry on like your normal self. I didn't expect you to just be able to quit everything you do for me. As a matter of fact, I still don't expect you to. I was thinking that until we . . . y'know . . . I'd be a little forgiving and tolerant, since well . . . I'm still sort of holding things up, and once we finally, *ahem* then you'd stop the rest of that by yourself." Blake shrugs her shoulders while her arms are still folded. Her eyes downcasted the entire time she speaks, although now she starts to walk towards me. "Anyway, aside from the bottles I came for this."

I watch as she walks over to me, and with motion shoves me against one of the washing machines and presses her lips to mine. I place my hands on her shoulders to gently press her away, mainly because I was not expecting it and can't breathe, but she grabs both of my wrists and slams them into the top of the washer. The second her lips connected with mine her tongue presses into my lips, demanding entry and getting it without so much as a struggle from me. The surprise attack from Blake leaves my mind fogged, my body weak, and everything else disoriented. She pulls back for a brief moment, giving me time to gasp and take in one breath before she goes right back in to continue our kiss.

My legs are shaking at this point, and my footing is extremely poor. Several seconds later I feel my feet starting to slide until I begin to slide down to the floor with Blake bending over, and soon crouching to follow me. The journey to the ground ending with me sitting against the washer, and Blake seating herself on my lap, finally breaking the kiss, giggling to herself at how heavy my pants are.

"Now that the clothes are in the washer, I see no reason why I can't give you a kiss now." She whispers, "I'm gonna go look around and check on Ruby and Weiss. See you at the Gym."

I feel Blake's body move away, and hear her footsteps grow quiet until she is no longer in the area.

_She's understanding when she needs to be . . . another reason why I love her._

I can smile to myself, realizing just how fortunate I am to be able to call her my girlfriend. I lose track of time, thinking of Blake: something special I can do for her while she's on Patch, other places to bring her on the island although I haven't explored the entire island much myself, or maybe find something I could buy her.

The amount of time that has passed is brought to life when the washing machine I am leaning against stops its humming and comes to a stop. The stop in movement snaps me out of my daydream, and I quickly stand up to place the three batch of clothes into three separate dryers that are right across from the washing machines I was just using. I insert a lien into each dryer, and put them to a different setting according to the clothing load and decide to go see if Blake met up with Weiss and Ruby yet. I walk to the door, but Angel calls my name and stops me.

"Yang, c-could you come here, please?" She asks, coming out from behind the counter.

"What's up?" I ask, walking towards her, only to be greeted by her arms wrapping around my neck tightly.

"Blake told me a few things and well . . . I'm really happy for you two. Just . . . don't go forgetting about me, kay? I . . . I'm no Blake . . . but I'm always here to talk if you ever need it, alright?" She pulls from her hug and gives me a completely genuine smile, and at that moment I feel compelled to thank her.

"I will, Angel." I reach out and grab the back of her head, my other hand swinging around her waist and pulling her against me. She looks up at me with red cheeks, and a look of confusion on her face. Before she can say anything I lean down and press my lips briefly to her upper lip, then a second, and a final third time. "Thank you." I whisper to her and let her go before I turn around and jog out the door. I dash down the street, and when I see the Gym is on the next block I dash diagonally across the street towards the door. I open it up and smile, expecting to see the three of my teammates sitting around or watching a match, but instead my entire reality crashes when I look into the ring.

Blake has her hands taped up and is in her Muay Thai stance. I look across the ring, and my eyes swell up with tears seeing Shun in her southpaw stance, but instead of her boxing stance she is clearly serious. She has her right hand low over her stomach, and her left hand close to her face. She is bouncing on her heels and is standing completely upright in her kickboxing stance.

_I told Blake what would happen if I saw this . . . Why is she . . . Why are they . . ._

I stand there frozen as the two of them begin exchanging. I look around the room to see this is the second round, which means they've already gone three minutes fighting each other which pisses me off even further. My body moves on its own and I begin running to the stage. I can see Brandon looking at me with wide eyes, most likely from my red eyes and possibly glowing hair at the sight of seeing the two people I have the strongest feelings for fight each other. He comes over in an attempt to intercept me, but without breaking stride I jump into the air and spin, using the momentum to throw a knockout punch into his temple during my spin, and land facing the same direction I started in to keep running.

I slide in from the bottom rope, the two of them going wide eyed at seeing me standing there. I can see both of their mouths moving but I can't hear a thing from them.

"I . . . I don't want you two fighting . . . I don't want it . . ."

I look down, seeing both of their feet. In a rational state I would see them both walking towards me, but all I can see now is that they are too close together, and that's the final push.

"**STAY AWAY FROM EACH OTHER!" **

I scream at the top of my lungs. I look up at the two of them, but all I see is a blinding flash engulf my vision. Seconds later I gaze around in shock at the sight of Blake sitting in one corner, completely unconscious. Shun in the opposite corner in a similar state. I walk to the center of the ring, looking at both of them, believing that I need to stand between them, or else somehow they will wake up and begin fighting again. I hear a voice call my name, and when I turn I see Ruby standing there with a worried look in her face.

"Yang . . . What did you do?"

After a few heavy breathes I look around the room, seeing everybody is on the ground, and I realize what that bright flash from earlier was.

"I exploded."

* * *

_You guys know the drill!_

_. . . Well, I know deep down we were all expecting there to be a . . . CATFIGHT_

_GOD DAMNIT BARB!_


	53. An Explanation and An Ex's Farewell

**_POV: BLAKE BELLADONNA_**

**_Chapter 53 – An Explanation, and an Ex's Farewell_**

"I'm Yang's girlfriend." I speak loud and clear, looking into the multi-colored eyes of the cheetah Faunus who must be none other than Yang's first love.

"I see . . . so you're the one who's dating my little Sunflower." She grins at me, staring me down with her left eye, her right being covered by her autumn colored hair. Her eyes appear to be extremely unique. The outer ring of her iris is a Halloween orange, but fades more towards yellow as it comes closer to the dark, tiny pupil. Being a cheetah Faunus no doubt tributes to the predatory stare she is using on me.

_'Sunflower' eh? Something I'll tease Yang with later._

"That would be correct, except she isn't yours." I say, ready for what kind of reaction that may bring forth. Yang did say she is short fused. I reach behind me and gently push Weiss aside, not wanting her to get caught up in what may happen. Oddly enough the cheetah Faunus chuckles briefly and smiles at me.

"You have guts, I'll give you that. Give me a reason why I shouldn't send you back into the next year with one punch." Her smile from earlier turns into a confident, challenging smirk, complimented by a hostile growling and a baring of her sharp canines.

_She's a tough talker, wonder of Yang was always a tough talker too . . . or if she picked it up from this one._

"That's easy," I smile. "You didn't strike me when I announced I am Yang's girlfriend. You either have no feelings for Yang anymore, which would make you striking me of no value. That, or you have feelings for Yang still and wish to stay in whatever good graces she may, or you may thing she has you in." My answer leaves the same unamused look on her face, but I lower my hands and take on a neutral stance. She won't hit me. She can't afford to.

"The one thing I hate more than Faunus haters are people who think they know me! You've never met me. You've never been in my shoes, within my mindset, within my life." The entire time she speaks I notice the orange color in her eyes beginning to take dominance over the yellow. "What makes you think you know anything about me!?" Her last few words have a break in her voice, possibly having a bad memory, or an emotional lapse from her own questions.

"Yang spoke of you in high regard in the laundromat. As a matter of fact, it brings me to a question I will prefer you answer willingly."

_I really do prefer you answer it willingly._

"And if I refuse to answer?" Her smirk widens, challenging me, and it's a challenge I will not back away from.

"Then I won't hesitate to beat the answer out of you." My comeback is swift, and brings her smirk down to a grin. "However, it's your choice."

She keeps her eyes on me, scanning my form, until meeting my gaze once more. After a moment her shoulders lower, and she motions Ruby to pass by her without taking her eyes from me.

"I'll talk to you alone. We can chat in the gym." Her voice is much calmer. My eyes widen when I see her hand swiftly move towards Ruby's face while the little black and white haired girl walks by, but I relax when I see the large hand rest on Ruby's head and give the hair a little ruffle. When Ruby passes by me to reach Weiss I give her my best smile and begin following the Faunus girl into the gym. Surprisingly she waits and holds the door until I place my hand on it, signaling I am behind her before she continues walking in and takes a seat on the closest bench.

"Shun Hitomi . . . Call me Shun, or Hito." She says while I take a seat on the other side fo the bench, keeping a bit of distance between us just to be cautious.

"Belladonna . . . Blake Belladonna . . . just call me Blake." I respond to exhaust the formalities between us.

"Alright, Blake." She looks at me, then takes a deep breath and looks to the floor. "What's the question?"

"Why'd you break up with Yang?" I ask in my flattest tone. Her eyes widen upon hearing my question and turns her head to look at me in shock. The shock quickly turns to rage and she stands up, but before she walks away I speak up.

"I did say I would beat it out of you if you refuse to answer." She looks at me, and smirks before raising her voice and turning her head towards the ring.

"Brandon, clear the ring, get me some tape."

"Challenger have we?" I hear a scratchy, excited voice shout in return, most likely from a middle-aged man.

"Let's make it an MMA match." I say to her, and she looks at me with a questionable expression.

"Why not a boxing match?

"You're not a boxer . . . You're a kickboxer. I'm not a boxer . . . I'm a Muay Thai fighter. Unless you feel like you'd be in a disadvantage if I can use my elbows and knees." I shrug my shoulders and sit back, waiting for the Shun's openly displayed pride get the better of her.

"Not a chance. MMA it is. Make sure Brandon wraps your elbows and knees up good." She says and walks to the ring. I stand up and follower her, looking at the large square with black ropes, brown canvas, and a black skirt that reads 'Breakneck Base'.

She hops onto the apron, then vaults over the top rope with little effort. In one of the corners the turnbuckle padding is blue, indicating one corner. Before going into the ring I walk towards the corner diagonal from where she is and begin taking off my shoes, followed by my black vest. Ultimately leaving me in my black and purple stockings, white shorts, and white sleeveless shirt. Not having my vest on makes me feel a little exposed since it doesn't cover my midriff.

I climb onto the apron and duck inside between the first and second rope. It's not long before a tall, stocky guy comes on and begins to tape up her hands. I assume that to be Brandon. When he comes to me and does the same I stop him and tell him to do my elbows and knees too.

"Heh, Muay Thai, huh? Don't hit Shun too much in the face, alrighty? It's one of the few things she has going good for her." He says loud enough for her to hear, but she snarls at him, making him laugh in return. I would say he is completely wrong in that regard. Shun has a chest that rivals Yang. To be quite honest, I would need them to be side by side to tell whose is larger. On top of that she has shapely hips, and while I am observing her after Brandon's witty remark, I realize that she is actually pretty attractive.

That doesn't mean I want her or anything, but I see the physical appeal Yang found in her, although I am sure deep underneath the snarls, overconfidence, and whatever else she's been showing me, that there is a less sour side to her.

Brandon finishes with my elbows and knees pretty quickly, and makes the wrap extremely tight without needing to use me as leverage, which I appreciate since I am not so fond of someone touching my bare thighs. . . Yang is the exception.

"Alright, Blake. We'll do this for a round. Beat me and I'll answer your question. We'll do this by one knockdown, tripping and any judo throw crap is excluded." She leans against her corner while she explains, but I cut in to sum it up to speed up the process.

"If a punch, kick, elbow, or knee isn't what makes us fall, then it isn't counted. I get it." I roll my eyes, taking the time to stretch my arms and legs for a moment, until I feel a weakness in my limbs, signaling they are loosened up enough.

"Alright, gals. You two ain't men, but I think a twat swat would hurt just as much, so nothing on the groin, no headbutts, and no hypnosis . . . .SHUN." Brandon shouts from the side of the ring, and my eyes widen at the fact that I could have easily lost through such a detail.

"Damnit, Brandon! Fine fine, I won't use my semblance . . . she can use hers, whatever it is." Shun sighs and steps away from her corner to enter her kickboxing stance. She keeps her right hand over her stomach, and her left close to her face while she stands completely upright. It's an odd stance that I haven't seen much of, but based on her punch to Weiss and her tightened left arm, I know that if there is anything to be wary of it will be her left punch that appears to be pretty fast compared to most strikes.

"Alright, you two. Ready?"

Shun nods her head to Brandon. I pause and step forward, slowly lifting my hands up and keeping my fingers loose, bringing forth memories of my fight with Yang. My left leg is brought forward, the ball of my toes being the only thing to touch the ground while my right foot is firmly planted. I give my nod to Brandon and he points to someone outside the ring. Seconds later a bell is heard, and I am shown that Shun is the opposite of Yang in every way when it comes to fighting . . . She is fast as hell, while Yang is average with speed. Her punches don't do much damage at all. However, there is one thing her and Yang have in common, and practically mirror each other with this one commodity . . . they are both aggressive fighters.

Upon the bell ringing Shun wastes no time in running towards me, abandoning her form for a moment. Her punches come in quick barrages, her right jabs easily blocked, but every left punch she throws catches me. I begin focusing more on it, and see the pure speed she packs. I'm not hurt by them, but the irritation of being hit by multiple shots begins to piss me off.

I peek at her through my closed fists, holding them to keep guarding my face from her barrage of punches. I look into her eye, which appears to be scattering along my body, peppering my form with brief stares. Finally her eye meet mine and I see her left hand start to launch to right between my hands. I quickly close my guard, stopping the quick fist which comes in contact with my wrists, and a smile crosses my wrist.

_She's just like Yang in every way . . . she even looks where she's punching. A hunter never takes their eye off the prey . . . perfect mentality for a predator._

I decide to finally make my move and lift my left leg to throw a quick kick to her leading right foot. The impact brings her off balance and she jumps back to regain herself.

_No you don't. Now it's my turn!_

I smirk, dashing straight towards her and follow her eyes to my right rib. I bring my right arm down to cover my torso and intercept the quick left body shot.

_I'll show you what happens when you underestimate me._

I duck in towards my left while throwing an overhand right. The punch being blocked effortlessly, but at the same time I take full advantage of my semblance. I leave my clone out in that position, making her guard while I follow through with my ducking motion. The motion leaves me against the right side of her body. She can't see a thing on the right side of her thanks to her long bangs, and doesn't expect what is to come next since she thinks I am still in front of her.

I jump into the air, seeing her throw a punch that makes my shadow clone disappear. I can't see her facial expression, but I am sure she is completely shocked at the sudden disappearance. Before she has a chance to recover I place my hands on the other side of her head and tug her towards me. The move I used on Yang to send her flying being used again in a makeshift manner. As I tug her head down I bring my right knee up to her temple with an echoing impact that sends the tall Faunus flying, and in a loud clear voice I announce my strike with a deep growl in my stomach.

"Kao Loi!"

I smirk to myself, the firm impact disorienting her enough to make her hit the floor. It's one of my strongest moves, and yet again it proves to be as effective as I need it to be. I can hear a few chuckles and scoffs at the side of the ring in amusement at the surprise strike, and when Shun turns her head to see me standing there with a smile on her face she sighs and slides herself back towards a rope to sit up against.

"Serves me right for saying you could use your semblance . . . the fuck was that, teleportation?" She asks while I walk over and hold out my hand to her.

"Shadow clone . . . I slid into your blind spot after the punch so you didn't see me. Should really tie your hair up." My comment ears a laugh from her.

"Look in my eye a moment." She moves her hair away from her right eye, letting me see it while she keeps her gaze away from me. The eye is a green color along the outer iris, and fades to a blue as it reaches her pupil, carrying a similar pattern to her left eye aside from the color difference. She places her hair back over her eye and looks at me with a chuckle. "I use my right eye for my semblance . . . When someone looks into my right eye I can make them see in triplets . . . or hypnotize. I can control it most times, but when I get agitated in a fight, I use it out of frustration." She sighs, grabbing my hand, but instead of letting me pull her up, she pulls me down, catching me in her arms and sits me next to her against the rope.

"Warning would be nice." I scowl, but she only laughs and shakes her head.

"Anyway, a promise is a promise. I left her for three reasons, really." She begins, and before I can impatiently ask her what the reasons are she lifts her hand up to stop me from speaking. "First off, what did she tell you about me? Or rather . . . about her and I . . . how we use to be."

"She went everywhere with you. You went to all her boxing matches, she went to all your track meets. Soon after you took well . . . her-"

"No need to say it. Go on."

"You left her soon after . . . about the time of your graduation." I keep my voice low enough so anybody else can't hear us.

"Alright, then you know everything there is from the onlookers perspective. Look, I ain't gonna sugarcoat it. What I did was to benefit her. To say the least, there is nothing I wouldn't do to see that blonde beauty happy, but for that to happen I needed to break her heart. I needed her to stop looking at me, stop wanting to be near me, to think I just wanted to take her for a ride, but that's far from the truth." Shun looks blankly ahead then at me.

"You're not making sense." I say flatly.

"Look. Yang is what, 17 now? I'm 20 . . . Birthday passed recently. Do the math. I have been either 2 or 3 years older than her, yet I was only one grade ahead."

"Okay, you got left back, what does this have to do with what you did to her?"

"I was getting to that, can you shut it for a moment?" She growls, and after exchanging stares with her I sigh and nod my head.

_She's a bitch . . ._

"Never took Signal serious, and to be quite honest my grades reflected that. Only thing I really did with my heart into it was track, and making my own weapon. I knew I wasn't going anywhere fancy, but I caught wind from Yang's Uncle . . . the guy scares the shit out of me by the way . . . he's far too relaxed. Anyway, I heard she had a chance at getting into Beacon, and I had no chance."

"So you break up with her so nothing keeps her from leaving Patch?" I ask, and she nods her head slowly.

"Plus, I can't leave Patch at all to be honest. I did some shitty things, went into Vale one time . . . I met up with some people, and well . . . I thought they had the right idea . . . so I helped them out. Later I found out the person they work for is just abusing their drive . . . the guy was a douche, and a clear Faunus hater, but the rest of them couldn't see that."

As she speaks I begin to worry. Her story slowly drives me closer and closer to a conclusion I hope is wrong.

"My senior year I got in bad with the wrong group for a bit. Caught up in all the fancy thoughts of being treated equal and being respected . . . it was all a downright lie. The whole group wants to eradicate humans . . . that's not what I want. I don't care how much I hate the discrimination . . . it ain't fuckin' right. I didn't want Yang to find that out . . . that was my second reason."

_. . . She made the same mistake I did, but she realized it a lot sooner._

"When I get my hands on Torchwick . . . I'll make him pay . . . don't you worry." I whisper to her. Her eye goes wide when I whisper that name.

"You're kidding me. you're-"

"Beat me and I'll tell." I smirk standing up and holding my hand out to her. This time she takes it and pulls herself up.

"Hey Brandon! Turn the card, this is round two." Shun shouts, walking back towards her corner while I walk to mine. The impatient man sounds the bell while we are both still settling, and out of reflex we both enter our stance. This time we take things slow, carefully approaching each other and being more cautious about what the other person is capable of. She turns her head more, making it so she can see more to her right, and making it impossible for me to use my semblance in the same manner.

Before our exchange can even begin I hear someone hit the ground hard. I turn my head to see, but don't even finish the motion before Yang sprints in through the bottom rope. My eyes widen when I see her, and Shun is in a similar state. Her eyes are as red as can be, and her hair is glowing. A bright glow that makes it somewhat painful on my eyes to look at her.

"Yang, we are just sparring. Nothing bad." I whisper to her.

"Blake's right, Sunflower. We were just sparring a bit, nice seeing you again by the way." Shun whispers after me

"I . . . I don't want you two fighting . . . I don't want it." Yang says to the two of us.

Shun and I both take careful steps towards Yang, doing our best to reassure and relax her. It seems like we get too close, and she lets out a loud scream that pains my eardrums.

"**STAY AWAY FROM EACH OTHER!"**

Her voice makes me flinch and cover my ears. I reach a hand out to her, but before I can even touch her I see her hair glow even brighter. I recognize the sharp spike in her aura, and I try to tell her to stop, but my words are cut off when I feel the invisible force send me flying back until my back hits the padded turnbuckle, but the force makes my vision blur and then fade black.

"Is she alright? Tell me she's alright! This is all my fault!"

"Calm down, Yang. I'm sure if Shun's alright, then so is she. What's her name, anyway?"

"That's Blake . . . she's my girlfriend."

"Another one? How many has it been, Yang?"

"She's the first one since I graduated from Signal! I'm serious about her . . . should at least talk to her first. I mean . . . you'll be hit with something even more shocking later on."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, Dad."

I groan, opening my eyes to see a slender man looking down at me. He has a clean Caesar haircut, blonde hair, and a thin line of facial hair that follows his jawline and connects to his sideburns. The blonde facial hair then goes around his lips in a well done goatee.

"Blake!" I hear Yang scream and come down next to me, peeking over the man's shoulder. Her eyes are back to their lovely lilac color, and at the same time I notice his eyes are the exact same color.

"Ugh . . . Next time you're gonna explode, Yang . . . at least scream banzai or something . . . The warning would be greatly appreciated." I sigh, carefully sitting up to see I am still in the boxing ring, and Shun is straight ahead of me on the other side of the ring, smiling to see me up.

"Not the time for comedics, Blake . . . anyway, this may be a bit of an odd time, but this is my dad." She smiles, and while I use my left hand to keep me seated up, I extend my right hand for a handshake.

"Well, pleasure to meet you then . . . Mr Long? Or is it Mr Xiao Long?" I ask. He quickly grasps my hand and shakes it, although he has a rather unamused look on his face.

"Taiyang is fine. It's nice to meet you Ms . . ."

"Belladonna, but please . . . call me Blake if that's not a problem." I whisper and he nods his head before standing up.

"Alright, well that's two down . . . Let me get the rest of the gym up. I swear, Yang. You can never let me get a rest." He sighs and climbs out the ring/

"By the way Yang . . . We were just sparring an-"

"I know. Shun explained after she woke up. I'm sorry . . . and this time I do get to be sorry." She smiles.

"Did Shun tell you everything that happened?" I ask, and Yang looks at me with a confused look.

"I thought so." I sigh, waving Shun over, and after giving me a quizzical expression she comes over and kneels down to the other side of me.

"What's up?"

"Yang . . . Shun still has feelings for you. She broke up with you so you wouldn't have anything holding you back from going to Beacon. She was also hiding the fact that she got mixed up in the same group I did . . . Yes . . . 'them'. Also, I on a completely different note . . . I will be calling you Sunflower from now on." I smile, although Yang and Shun both look at me with a shocked look.

"Dumbass, I already told her all that you nosy Bi-"

"She's my girlfriend, and if you finish that sentence I will punch you." Yang cuts in, and Shun bites her tongue to not finish the sentence. "Why even go for an answer Blake? It's my past . . . nothing you need to worry about."

"You're wrong, Yang. I do need to worry. You at least have a chance to make amends with your past. I can't. Also . . . I expect Shun to give you a proper apology. Something nostalgic that I don't need to see while I walk outside to get some fresh air." I give the two a little wink and start to get up, but at the same time they both hold me down and shake their heads.

"Idiot." They say in sync.

"Blake, I'm not going to kiss my ex while you have your back turned." Yang says with a roll of her eyes.

"She may be my little Sunflower, but I ain't got a chance. Actually, I do need to do this, though." I watch Shun shoot her left hand out. I expect it to be a punch to Yang's jaw, but the swift hand touches the back of Yang's head, pulling my girlfriend in for a tight liplock. Yang goes wide eyed, and I can see her wind up her fist, which I quickly grasp and begin to chuckle.

"It's a farewell kiss, Yang. Just take it. She is one of the women you said you can still be affectionate with, right?" With my words, Yang unclenches her fist and closes her eyes. I look away for the moment, and about ten seconds later I feel a tap to my shoulder. The quick touch is Shun, and I turn back to see she is already rolling out the ring.

"I find out you start slipping up, Blake . . . I'll be there to take her back." Her voice is back to the harsh tone she took with me when we first met, and she walks out the gym through the broken window.

"Blake, what's with you and getting me to kiss people?" Yang asks, sitting herself next to me.

"Meh, guess I like knowing that those kisses are pretty much the last those people will get. Especially since I can have one any time I want." I smile at her, and Yang gets where I am hinting at instantly.

She wastes no time in leaning down and pressing her lips to mine, although the moment our lips connect we are interrupted by a firm voice.

"HEY! Not in front of me, Yang. Get a motel." It's her dad.

"Yeah . . . he'll be like that until he warms up to you." Yang says with a smile on her face, then raises her voice, "Sorry Daaaaad!"

"He's like this with you . . . and you're almost 18 . . . Have Weiss and Ruby said anything yet?" I ask, looking around to see that neither of them are nearby.

"Nope . . . at least I don't think so. We should record that one." Yang grins.

"And show him the video of them making out from this morning." I add, making us exchanging a few laughs.

"Well, just sit here for a bit. I'm gonna go talk to Brandon now that Dad just got him up." Yang smiles and stands herself up before walking towards the ring ropes and hopping over them to land on the ground with a loud thud.

_Is it disturbing that those two are treating this like this happens on a regular basis . . . Wait . . . does it?_


	54. A Leader When Needed

**_A_**_ short chapter guys. So please dpn't comment on it being short, I know it is._

_The reason is I just wanted to use this chapter to explain what happened while Blake was out cold, and nothing further from that._

_SO, aside form it being a pretty short chapter, I hope you guys enjoy it. We also get to meet another character I am sure we all knew would be appearing soon enough._

Anyway, enjoy the chapter everyone, review as always!

* * *

**_POV: RUBY ROSE_**

**_Chapter 54 – A Leader When Needed_**

_Yang . . . how could all of this happen? What were those two doing?_

I think to myself, awestruck at the massive body count of unconscious people. I hear Weiss' footsteps coming up behind me, and that snaps me back into reality. There's work to be done, and right now there's only three of us to do it.

"Weiss!" I say firmly and look over my shoulder at my girlfriend who just paused in place. "Go to the laundromat, ask for Angelika. Tell her it's an emergency and Ruby sent you." Weiss stands there dumbfounded at my switch of tone. I yell for her to go, again and this time she takes off for the laundromat.

"Yang, get out the ring and start laying everyone on their back." She still spaced out, unsure herself of what just happened. I run into the ring and place my hands on her shoulders. The contact makes her flinch and look down at me. "Yang, please. I need you to get everyone on their back. I'll get Blake and Shun since they are in more manageable positions, but hurry."

"Y-yeah. No problem, Sis." Yang shakes her head a bit, for the first time now she gazes around to see the approximate 15 people scattered throughout the gym in various, awkward positions. Another tap to her shoulders and she slides out the ring to do as I asked.

In the meantime I am careful to move Blake away from the corner of the ring and lay her down flat on her back with her arms at her sides. I see her chest moving and lips slightly parted from her breathing. I knew the entire time she was fine, but seeing that erases what miniscule amount of doubt and worry managed to manifest inside me. Next I run the other side of the ring and do the same for Shun, although she is a lot heavier than Blake. To get her off I need to hook my arms underneath hers and tug her off until I get enough space to lay her down.

When I am done I look to see Yang is over halfway done and has been moving everyone she grabbed into an open space so everybody is not that scattered apart. I take the time to slide out of the ring and go behind the front counter to get the first aid kit in case it made be needed. When I get back towards the ring I can see Angel jogging in, panting with Weiss not far behind, and showing no signs of fatigue.

"It wasn't that far of a run." Weiss says to Angel whose face gets red with embarrassment. She has never been outstanding when it came to athletics, but there was nobody in town with better aura control than her.

"I . . . I'm not good at running okay?" Angel looks around, mild shock on her face. "Yang, you did it again? This is the fourth time . . . sheesh."

Angel sighs, and I am now the one left with shock on my face.

"Wait, this has happened before!? Where was I?" I ask, while Angel looks around until she spots Brandon and kneels at his side. I watch her place her hands over his forehead, and a green glow illuminating them. She holds still in deep focus for a full minute until Brandon begins to wince and rub his head, signaling he is awake.

". . . That's the fourth time, Yang!" He shouts while rubbing his head, Angel keeping nearby to make sure everything is okay. "Thanks, Ang. Get Shun next, then start working on the rest of 'em"

While everything is going on, Yang mindlessly works on getting everyone else together before she steps back into the ring and lays Blake's head on her lap. She watches Angelika work on Shun and then roll out the ring to help everyone else.

"This is the fourth time Yang does this?" Weiss asks, and I shrug my shoulders in response to her.

"I never knew she did it any of the other three times . . . I'm glad we got Angelika now, since it looks like she's done this a few times already. I knew she was a healer, but I didn't think she had active experience." I explain, but Weiss begins to laugh and shake her head, making me question her on why.

"Never seen you take charge so quickly. I swear, it was just like the time with that giant Nevermore during initiation." Weiss smiles and gives me a quick hug. "You know when you have to take charge . . . just like a proper leader."

Her compliment makes me blush, but the little heartfelt moment doesn't last long.

"What the . . . Yang? _Again!?_ I can't get a single break, now can I?" the voice sighs, and when I turn my head I get a cheek to cheek smile when I see the greatest healer I've come to know.

"Dad!" I shout, semblancing to him and jumping into his arms. He catches me with a look of surprise while he walks to the ring. I look over towards the ring and see Yang and Shun are having what appears to a serious conversation, so she hasn't noticed Dad at all.

My Dad is about 6'3, pretty close to matching heights with Uncle Qrow, although Uncle Qrow is definitely taller. He is wearing a black leather jacket and black denim jeans, almost the exact same outfit Uncle Qrow was wearing when he came into the house.

"Nice to see you, Ruby. I hope this is the only trouble you've gotten into. It's only been five days since you've gotten back to Patch, and Yang is already up to her hold antics." He sighs, dropping to a knee to let me down and ruffling my hair. His face is always pretty serious, but he can be just as relaxed as Uncle Qrow, although he is far more serious when it comes to Yang and I. Dad's always been a bit overprotective, which is why I am a bit nervous about telling him about me and Weiss. It will be easy for Yang to do it since well . . . she use to switch so much, and when Dad would as when one person is coming to visit again, she would say that she is dating someone else, and it eventually became routine.

"Give her a break, Dad. You know you missed us making a bunch of noise in town!" I smile and he lets off a soft chuckle while he slides into the ring, drawing Yang and Shun to look at him.

"Heheh . . . Hey, Dad." Yang says, giggling nervously while she carefully puts Blake's head down onto the mat. "C-Could you help her out?"

"Naturally, and hello Shun." My Dad says while he kneels down next to Blake.

"Hey Mr Tai, nice seeing you again." She smiles, moving to the other side of the ring to finish their conversation.

In the meantime, Angel has gotten someone else awake who looks around and sighs, muttering Yang's name under his breath. It seems like he has been a part of one of Yang's previous explosions. I look around for Weiss and see she is now in the ring and speaking to my dad. I get super nosy and curious at what they are talking about and run into the ring to join them.

"I knew you were familiar, but I did not want to stare. I've had the pleasantries of dealing with your father in the past." My Dad says.

"With all due respect Mr Xiao Long . . . I am sure it was anything but pleasant. What rank of asshole was he?" Weiss' tone is harsh when she speaks of her dad, but still respectful while she talks to mine.

"A 5-star general." My dad says and the two of them exchange a few giggles and smiles.

"I thought so. I apologize for that, then. If you do not mind, I spent the night in your home, and would enjoy doing so for a portion of the break if that is not too much to ask."

_Weiss, you always seem to find the opportunity to make a good impression don't you?_

"Well, we do have an attic room that you can stay in and-"

"Forgive me for cutting you off . . . but Blake . . ." Weiss gestures down to her, "Has been staying up there. She is Yang's partner." Weiss explains, and my Dad nods while placing his left hand over Blake's right knee, and his hand starting to glow an amber shade.

"I see. Well the answer is yes, and I will work on the proper accommodations." He speaks in a neutral tone that matches how Weiss speaks when she is being formal.

"I would rather you not have to go through the troubles for me. I could just as easily find somewhere nearby to stay. Or I could sleep in Ruby's sleeping bag again."

"Oh no you don't!" I shout and walk up to them, "You already needed Yang to fix your back up from sleeping in it already. I'm not letting you do that again." I pout, and my Dad shakes his head and smiles.

"Well, my daughter is a pain to argue with . . . both of them are. I wonder how her knee got bruised like this . . . did she knee a wall?" My dad asks more to himself than to us, but Shun with her super sharp hearing speaks up.

"Actually, we were sparring and she kneed the side of my head . . . She's a Muay Thai fighter, apparently." She says, then goes back to talking with Yang who is actually shedding a few tears right now, but I turn my head away, figuring it to be an important conversation. While she is shedding her tears she does not have a sad expression on her face, so it is more of just something tear-jerking rather than something that is hurting her feelings. Shun did say they weren't on the best terms right now, but I hope it isn't _that_ bad.

"Alright, well let me fix up the rest of her bruises before I wake her up. Sorry to say, but I need you two to leave . . . I'm poor at concentrating with people looking over my shoulder." My dad whispers to the both of us and we quickly obey his request and slide out from the ring.

"Your sister is such a firecracker." I turn my head to see Brandon chuckling while he walks over to me and Weiss.

"Walking TNT is more like it." Weiss counters, making him let out a firm laugh. Weiss has been on quite a streak, making my dad laugh, and now Brandon – although Brandon doesn't need much coaxing to laugh.

"I suppose so. Name's Brandon." He says, extending is hand to Weiss who shakes it while answering.

"Pleasure. I'm Weiss, Ruby's partner from Beacon."

"Oh? Hmm… would you happen to be from Atlas?" He asks with a smirk, looking at me out the corner of his eye.

"Yes. You don't seem too familiar with me, so how did you know that?" Weiss asks.

"If you are who I think you are . . . then a little birdie was gloating about her new girlfriend . . . met in Vale, and is from Atlas." He smirks.

Weiss' eyes go wide and she looks at me with a bright blush on her face. Her embarrassed look turns to one of anger, until she is visibly shaking and staring me down, making me feel smaller by the second.

"You … you DOLT!" Weiss screams. Her eyes downcast and I can't help but reach out to hug her. Unfortunately she swipes my hands away and I sigh, not wanting to push things.

"Youngins are pretty funny." Brandon begins, "They appreciate being talked about, yet they get angry about it at the same time. Telling you now, Weiss. You're gonna become pretty popular around this gym. Ruby, you told your pops yet?"

"N-not yet . . . I will at home, so please please please don't say anything to anybody until we all leave." I plead, and Brandon nods his head.

"Or he can not tell anybody at all!" Weiss interrupts, but then sighs, giving me the hug I wanted earlier. "I'm sorry, Ruby . . . just . . . a bit nervous of how people will look at me here. It's my first appearance on the island."

"Psh. Patch got the nicest people around, kid." Brandon chuckles, patting Weiss on the back.

"Blake!" The three of us turn to the ring to see Blake lifting herself up to a sit with Yang right there, and Shun smiling from across the ring.

_Well, Team RWBY is back at full health . . . hopefully we stay like that after I tell Dad about Weiss and I . . ._


	55. A Change In Schedule

**_POV: WEISS SCHNEE_**

**_Chapter 55 – A Change in Schedule_**

_Okay, Weiss. You do your job now, and it should make things easier when Ruby does her part. Deep breath, kind face, relaxed tone . . . here we go._

I nervously crawl into the boxing ring and step to the other side of Blake's unconscious form while Ruby's Dad begins to observe Blake's arms for injuries I assume.

"Forgive my interruption. I thought it would be rude to not make a proper introduction. I'm Ruby's partner in Vale, Weiss Schnee. I wish the circumstances were a little kinder." I say, holding a smile the entire time.

He looks up at me with what could be an angry, non-caring, or just non-effected gaze. It soon turns into a smile and he extends his hand which I quickly shake.

"I see. I'm Ruby and Yang's father, Taiyang Xiao Long. I knew you were familiar, but I did not want to stare. I've had the pleasantries of dealing with your father in the past." He keeps a smile on his face and remains looking into my eyes. Either he is just trying to be super polite, or he actually thinks my Dad's presence is an honor.

"With all due respect, Mr Xiao Long." I take a short breath, "I am sure it was anything but pleasant. What rank of asshole was he?" I curse myself in my mind, realizing my tone took a slightly hostile turn, but he doesn't seem to be bothered by it. He is smiling in fact.

"A 5-star general." He says. I return his smile before him and I begin exchanging giggles.

_He's laughing. That's good._

"I thought so. I apologize for that, then." _Okay, Weiss . . . Just gently bring up the fact that you stayed the night . . . be courteous._ "If you do not mind, I spent the night in your home and would enjoy doing so for a portion of the break if that is not too much to ask." _Perfect!_

"Well, we do have an attic room that you can stay in and-"

"Forgive me for cutting you off," _Seriously Weiss! Stupid move, _"But Blake has been staying up there. She is Yang's partner." I watch him nod and begin to favor looking at Blake's right knee before he brings his hand down there. It begins to glow an amber color, then he swings his attention back to me.

"I see. Well the answer is yes, and I will work on the proper accommodations." He doesn't seem too pleased at that idea, I suppose I should just find a place in town. It would just be for a few days . . . and should he not be too keen on Ruby and I dating, then it would be a perfect way to keep my appearance around him scarce.

"I would rather you not have to go through the troubles for me. I could just as easily find somewhere nearby to stay. Or I could sleep in Ruby's sleeping bag again." _…In the middle of the street after she tells you._

"Oh no you don't!" I look over Mr Xiao Long's shoulder to Ruby who is walking over with a pouty face. "You already needed Yang to fix your back up from sleeping in it already. I'm not letting you do that again."

_Ruby, you choose the worst times to interfere! A little sacrifice on my part is nothing to worry about if your dad will accept me._

"Well, my daughter is a pain to argue with." I look down at him to see a grin appear on his face, which turns into a sharp scoff. "Both of them are." He then turns his attention down to Blake, "I wonder how her knee got bruised like this . . . did she knee a wall?"

"Actually, we were sparring and she kneed the side of my head . . . She's a Muay Thai fighter, apparently." I turn my head to see it's the Faunus that tried to punch me from earlier. I make it a point to stare her down, and when she meets my gaze she shrugs and turns her attention back to Yang.

"Alright, well let me fix up the rest of her bruises before I wake her up. Sorry to say, but I need you two to leave . . . I'm poor at concentrating with people looking over my shoulder." Mr Xiao Long says to the two of us.

Ruby and I leave the ring without complaints. I am still a little mad at her for stepping into a conversation I believe was going really well, but I did not give her a warning or anything to what I was doing . . . so I suppose I can't get mad at her.

"You're sister's a firecracker." Ruby and I turn our heads to see a tall, well-built man walking towards us.

_Well, may as well keep trying to make a good impression._

"Walking TNT is more like it." I remark, earning a heavy laugh from him

"I suppose so. Name's Brandon." He extends his hand to me, and I reach out to grab it while I respond.

"Pleasure. I'm Weiss, Ruby's partner from Beacon."

At my words he raises an eyebrow and begins to question me a bit.

"Oh? Hmm… would you happen to be from Atlas?"

_Well, I'm a Schnee . . . anyone who knows the company would know I'm from Atlas . . . I wonder how you know though._

"Yes," I answer with a smile, "You don't seem too familiar with me, so how did you know that?"

"If you are who I think you are . . . then a little birdie was gloating about her new girlfriend . . . Met in Vale, and is from Atlas." He smirks.

_Wait, he pieced that together that fast!? He's quick witted for sure. Wait! Ruby was already talking about our relationship!? What if her dad found out!? What if he already knows!? I swear, Ruby! You never think things through! I'm trying my hardest to get him to like me, and he may already hate me with a burning passion! _

I turn my gaze to Ruby. The look she returns lets me know I look anything but pleased at this moment.

"You . . . You DOLT" I scream and look down, trying to think of all the possible scenarios, but hoping that her father does not know about us yet. It would make things a lot easier later on. I feel her arms begin to tighten around me, but I quickly push them away. She has no idea why I am angry to begin with.

"Youngins are pretty funny. They appreciate being talked about, yet they get angry about it at the same time. Telling you now, Weiss. You're gonna become pretty popular around this gym. Ruby, you tell your pops yet?" Brandon asks, but his reassurance is something I do not need right now.

"N-not yet . . . I will at home, so please please please don't say anything to anybody until we all leave." Ruby asks.

"Or he can not tell anybody at all!" I raise my head and interrupt. Me worrying this much is not helping my cause at all, and will not change the situation. I realize this and sigh, giving Ruby the hug I shook off from her earlier.

"I'm sorry, Ruby . . . just . . . a bit nervous of how people will look at me here. It's my first appearance on the island." It's a downright lie, but if I tell Ruby the real reason she will feel bad, and I don't need that happening right now.

"Psh, Patch got the nicest people around, kid." I can hear Brandon chuckling, and a heavy hand pat my back that must be his.

Suddenly we are interrupted by Yang's loud screaming of Blake's name. We all look to the ring to see Blake sitting up and rubbing her head. It is good to see she is perfectly fine, but I wonder how much commotion Mr Xiao Long will make to finding out that Yang and Blake are going out.

"Well, it seems all the important people are awake. Let me go say hello to your father, Ruby." Brandon walks away, and intercepts Ruby's dad just when he is rolling out of the ring.

"Hmm, I wonder if . . ." Ruby begins and before I can question her to finish the sentence she grabs me by the arm and tugs me with her outside. I am greeted by the sight of a large black car with dark tinted windows, far too dark to see anything inside.

"That can't be street legal." I comment, but Ruby ignores my comment and opens up the door ot the driver's seat and gasps. "ZWEI!"

"Zwei?" I ask, and when I walk next to Ruby I am greeted by two barks of an adorable, black, brown, and white colored Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

"He's my dog! Come here buddy!" Ruby shouts and Zwei jumps into Ruby's arms, belly side up and looks at me with his dark gray eyes.

"Are you telling me that this mangy . . . drooling . . . mutt" I look into his eyes more, and it becomes impossible to continue to sound dissatisfied. In truth I love dogs, "Is going to wiv with us foweva? Yes he is, yes he is." I smile, and Ruby snickers at my baby talk, but I could care less. She was the only one to hear that.

"Zwei, did Dad get me a Christmas gift?" Ruby asks.

"Ruby, I doubt that he-" I am cut off by two barks from Zwei who wiggles from Ruby's arms and hops onto the trunk of the car, patting down on it.

"Awesome! Thanks Zwei, you didn't tell me a thing." Ruby giggles, and Zwei hops down from the trunk. He then jumps right towards me. He is a really smart dog and measures things properly. All I need to do is extend my arms and he lands in them with a very gentle impact before rolling onto his back so I can hold him the same way he was in Ruby's arms.

"He is just so cute!" I smile, hugging him closer to me.

"Yup, Zwei's pretty awesome."

"Oh, should we get your sister's clothes?" I ask

"I . . . I'll do it." I turn my head to see Angelika walking by and going towards the laundromat. "I usually do it for her as a favor, so no problem." She continues to walk, but is then interrupted by a bark from Zwei.

"S-Sorry! Hi Zwei!" She shouts back, and Zwei barks again before Angel continues to walk.

"Zwei seems to be popular." I say, reaching down to scratch his tummy.

"He is. Dad left him at Uncle Qrow's house, guess he remembered to go get him this time." Ruby smiles, but that statement doesn't sit well with me at all.

"Wait, are you telling me your dad left your dog in your Uncle's house for a day with nobody around?" My eyes go wide for a moment at how irresponsible that is.

"Psshhhhhh," Ruby giggles and shakes her head, "No, silly. It was a week."

"WHAT!?"

"Oh, relax. Uncle Qrow leaves the can opener where Zwei can reach it."

"Wait? Ruby I- What does that even- . . . Ugh your family is so confusing!" I sigh, then feel a heavy hand on my left shoulder.

"Sorry about almost punching you. Hope to see you around." I turn my head to see Shun walking away, holding her hand up in a farewell while she walks and turns the corner to break sight with her.

"She seemed a lot happier than before." Ruby comments.

"I suppose. Anyway, should we go back inside? I think your dad may be done with things."

"Sure, I think you and I should start walking back after too. Not sure there is enough room in the back to fit the four of us in the car."

"I think we can. Just would need to have someone take a seat on a lap." Ruby says nonchalantly and walks into the gym while I follow.

When we walk in we see that everyone is almost awake. Mr Xiao Long making quick work without any conversation going on near him. As he finishes the last person he wipes the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Yang, next time you do this I am taking away your ammunition allowance." He says loud and clear while Yang drops her jaw in shock, but Blake is the one to cut in.

"You get an ammo allowance, Yang? I thought you used the prize mon-" Blake is cut off by a nudge from Yang.

"Aww, don't be that mean, Dad! Oh, Lee says hello by the way." Yang does her best to change the topic, and it seems like her dad bites into it.

"Oh? How's he doing?"

"He's good, he gave Ruby some free rounds for Crescent Rose, the armor piercing rounds." Yang grins, and Mr Xiao Long laughs.

"I haven't seen him in a while! Why won't you ever take me with you, Yang!?" Ruby shouts, hurting my eardrum, but what makes me laugh is when Yang and her dad answer Ruby's question in perfect sync:

"That part of town is no place for you!"

"Well," I interrupt before the conversation turns sour, and at the same time Zwei wiggles out of my arms, "How about we get back so Blake and I can get to know Mr Xiao Long better?"

"Actually, that's a very nice idea. It's been an exhausting day for me. In the car everyone." He says and through a wordless communication I can hear Ruby, Blake, and Yang all shout.

"BANZAI!"

Which leaves me giving all of them a questioning look, and also exchange a stare of pure confusion with Ruby's dad. We all go to the car, and Yang is the first one to dash out in front of us, taking the chance to slide over the hood of the car and go into the shotgun seat. That leaves Blake to go into the car on the far side to sit behind Yang, and Ruby and I to figure out who will sit on the other's lap. I open the passenger door, expecting the car to be a little roomier so that I can just smoosh myself between Blake and Ruby, but the car is in fact pretty small, and to do that would make the short ride very uncomfortable.

"Okay, Ruby. Rock Paper Scissor for the chair." I look over my shoulder and she nods.

"Rock, paper scissors, and shoot" we say in sync, patting our fists into our open palms in sync with the words, but at the last second Ruby semblances past me and when I turn around she is sitting in the car with a smile on her face.

"I win!" Ruby says with a triumphant smile, and I suppose I should have just taken the seat while I had the chance. I let out a sigh and carefully grab the back of the driver's seat while I lower myself into Ruby's lap, blushing a little at the slightly awkward position. Her dad doesn't seem phased by this in the slightest, and instead shouts for Zwei to get in the car.

"Who's Zwei?" Blake asks, and her question gets answered when the little Corgi runs towards me, hopping onto my lap, and startling Blake into opening the door and rushing out the car.

"Blake's . . . scared of dogs?" Ruby asks, looking at me and now at Yang who is looking back at us and dying of laughter.

"Oh! This is priceless! My Kittycat's scared of a tiny Corgi! This is golden! Alright, Zwei. Up front with me. We'll let Blake get use to you on her own pace." She then raises her voice for Blake to hear who is standing near the trunk of the car now, "Alright, Blake! He's sitting with me! Come back in!"

While Yang shouts at Blake, Zwei hops between the driver and passenger chair to go into Yang's lap then down towards where Yang's feet are while her dad gets into the car, and Blake comes in with a blush on her face.

"Please keep him away from my belongings." She whispers in her relaxed monotone, completely different from the earlier scaredy-cat act she put on.

"Didn't think just because you were a cat Faunus you'd be scared of a dog. I'll keep him away from you, Blake." Mr Xiao Long says and peeks over to Blake, who thankfully nods her head.

When the car starts, there is some loud, pretty catchy music that fills the car while we pull off. I look over to Blake who I believe is looking at me when in fact she is looking at Ruby, and nodding.

_What the hell are those two planning?_

I watch as Blake shifts more towards us, placing herself between the two of us, and Yang which puts her in a position to be a backseat driver. My internal question is answered when I feel Ruby's left hand drift over my skirt, working its way down my outer thigh while I try to push it off me to no avail from the determined leader. The music is pretty loud, making my grunts of disapproval and demands for her to stop fall on deaf ears.

What I thought of Ruby's wandering hand to be an attempt to go under my skirt eventually reveals itself to be just a caressing of my thigh over my skirt, but I'm sure she exaggerated the first stroke to purposefully mess with me. During the entire ride I am subject to her teasing touch, Blake peeking over every so often to snicker at my blushing, and discomforted look, but it pays more attention to Taiyang and Yang, to make sure neither of them look back.

"I have a Princess in my lap." Ruby whispers into my ear before trapping the lobe between her teeth and tugging slightly. I have no idea what has gotten into her all of a sudden, but I need to keep myself quiet. Normally I would be scolding her and making a big deal, but I can't considering it could draw the attention of her father our way, and then it dawns on me. The exact reason she is doing this now is because we are in her father's blind spot, and this is the perfect situation for me not to be able to complain.

_When I get out of this car, Ruby Rose! You are mincemeat!_

Another gentle tug makes my entire body shiver, and with a satisfied giggle she does so again, and again until I am reaching down to dig my nails into her skirt. She comes to a stop, and when I look ahead of us I can see the house is not far off. The car is driven up to their driveway, and is turned off while all of us begin to climb out.

Blake is the first out, clearly wanting to get herself away from Zwei. I am the second to climb out, but once both my feet touch the ground and I stand up, I need to lean on the car for support. Ruby's teasing has me weak in the legs, and her father takes quick notice of it.

"You okay, Weiss?" He asks, and I quickly nod while I think of an excuse.

"Carsick . . . I don't handle being in a car too well. I suppose I am use to airships and roomy limos." I hate to use the 'rich girl' excuse card, but it is the best and quickest thing that comes to mind, and he chuckles in amusement to my answer.

"Understandable. Out of curiosity: How come you do not have your own driver here? This is just me making conversation." As he speaks I see Ruby climbing out from the backseat, giving me a smile and wink while she walks into the house with Yang and Zwei, while Blake is already out of sight, though I am not sure how she is going to get into the house.

"I prefer not to rely on my father's money. In fact, the money I do use is something I have in a side account that I allow to collect interest. My expenses have not made a dent in the SDC accounts, and I plan to keep it that way."

"Independent, very good to hear. Speaking of which, you left these in the gym." He walks back into the car and hands me the cold cuts and sliced vegetables I bought for my salad.

"Wow! I completely forgot about those! Thank you!" I exclaim, but when I reach to take them from him he pulls them away from my reach.

"I'll carry them. Anyway, has Ozpin been treating you girls well over there?" He asks while we begin to walk to the house.

"You know Professor Ozpin? And yes he has."

"Well, Qrow knows him better, but yes I do. He is an old friend. I am surprised he has not contacted me to say that my daughter will be partnered with you, although I suppose that is something too basic to spare a call for. The man never takes a rest it seems." He pauses a moment to let me pass by to enter the house before him. After going inside I stand near the door, waiting for him to catch up and shut it before I continue.

"I've always seen Professor Ozpin to move from place to place very quick and discreetly, but that is nothing compared to Doctor Oobleck."

"Wait . . . funny looking guy, green hair? Weird glasses and his words always mesh together?" I nod my head and Ruby's dad shakes his head with a smile on his face. "Met him once, a while back when I had to go see Ozpin for something. Needless to say I couldn't keep up with a thing that man was saying . . . He was supposed to bring me to Ozpin's office, but he just kept going so fast, and I was in no mood to chase after him. Eventually I found my way there, and the first thing Ozpin says to me is 'Oobleck got here before you'. Guy can be sarcastic as hell when he wants to." We are in the kitchen now, and he is putting the things I bought into the fridge. When he is done we go into the living room to find Yang, Ruby and Blake watching TV on the couch.

"Blake, how did you-?" I begin asking, but she cuts in almost immediately.

"Left the attic window open."

"Okay, so Yang . . . now that I am in my recliner, what is this 'more shocking' news you mentioned in the gym?" I turn to see Mr Xiao Long is sitting in the recliner, and has it leaned back. He is still in his leather jacket, but the heavy clothing doesn't appear to bother him in the slightest. In fact he appears to be much more comfortable. My only complaint can be the annoying sound of his leather jacket brushing over the leather recliner to create that annoying, squeaky noise.

"Actually, it's Ruby that has to tell you." Yang says, and instantly I become aware of what is about to be said, so for my own safety I move to the far side of the room next to the couch to put the rest of my team between myself and Ruby's father.

"Oh? Well, it can't be that shocking then." He says nonchalantly,

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Yang interrupts, but her question goes unanswered. She folds her arms and falls back to slouch on the couch with a disapproving look on her face, and muttering, "I'm not that bad . . ."

"Well, uh." Ruby begins, looking towards the three of us for support. She is seated the closest to her dad, with Blake being in the middle, and finally Yang being the closest to me.

"Ruby, I'm your father. I would expect you not to be so hesitant when telling me something. When have I ever been non-understanding?" He asks, and Ruby lowers her head in defeat.

"Never, Dad. It's just . . ." She sighs, the conflict of how to say the next few words is written all over her face and I feel compelled to be the one to cut in.

"Ruby, as long as you didn't commit a murder, I am sure whatever you tell me will not bother me in the slightest." Her dad says, and for a moment Ruby smiles, but still remains silent.

"Um, if I may interrupt." I speak up, and suddenly I have four pairs of eyes on me. "What Ruby is too nervous to say . . . more because of worrying of the resulting reaction, is that she has a girlfriend."

". . . Is that all? Ruby, were you making a big deal because you're finally dating? As long as you don't bring home some trashy guy, which I've had to deal with far too many times courtesy of your sister, then I do not expect you to be this nervous!" Her dad sits up in the chair, speaking louder than before, but not from being angry, more out of relief since the news is not what he expected it to be.

"Thanks, Dad!" Yang shouts and groans from the comment that was clearly directed at her

"Was . . . a bit worried how you would react that I'm dating a girl." Ruby whispers, and it dawns on me that coming out the closet to a parent is possibly the hardest thing to do for some . . . especially for me with the way my parents are, but her dad is pretty understanding, so I am now wandering why she never did it before.

"Ruby Rose . . . do you expect the entire town to know you 'play for the other team' and not expect your father to know? Brandon told me what happened with the boy who made the very rude comment. In fact I was happy to know that him, and the gym members were looking out for you. What I don't-"

"She's 17 dad." Ruby cuts in, and his expression turns a little more serious.

"You are dating a girl that's 2 years older than you?" He asks.

"Well . . . 3 years after her birthday . . . but yeah." Ruby mutters, taking a deep breath while her father leans back into his recliner.

"I see . . . Well, I can't say I completely approve. I need to meet her, and I will be sure to give her a clear piece of my mind that I will be keeping a close eye on her. The last thing I need is someone three years older than my daughter trying to take advantage of her. I don't much like the sound of that."

_I don't like the sound of that either . . . I'm nothing like that!_

"She's nothing like that, Dad!" Ruby defends, but her father shakes his head and looks at his daughter.

"How long have you and this girl been dating?"

"C-Close to a month and a half now . . ."

"And do you know anything of her past? How she grew up? For all you know she could have grown up a criminal."

"She's not a criminal!"

"Or possibly deceptive."

"She's not deceptive!"

"Well I need to meet her to know for myself!" He slams his hand onto the arm of his chair, growing angry with Ruby's arguing. Ruby flinches at the sound and cowers against Blake. At the same time I casually walk in front of Ruby, but keep my eyes on her dad, who is now looking at me since I moved away from my previous spot without any clear reason or motive.

"I assure you, I am not any of those things, Mr Xiao Long." I say clearly, not breaking my gaze from him, even when his eyes go wide in realization to what I am saying.  
"Are you telling me that- . . . You . . . and my daughter?" He questions in broken sentences and I nod my head.

"I can't force you to approve of me, but I refuse to let my parents, or her parents stop me from being at her side. Forgive me for putting it like that, but I simply will not accept that, and if that is a declaration of war in your eyes, then so be it." I keep my tone calm and respectful, and after I am done speaking he slowly stands up from his recliner and walks towards me with a focused look in his eyes.

"D-Dad? What are you?" I hold my hand out to Ruby, stopping her mid-sentence, and also stopping her from standing up from her seat.

My eyes never leave his, and as he gets closer I am forced to tilt my head back to follow his eyes while the height difference becomes more apparent between us. He is roughly about two feet away when he stops walking and looks down at me.

"I feel more at ease knowing my daughter is at least with someone responsible, however I am more worried about your parents' reaction to all of this." His words shock me since he is putting my situation into his worries aside from his daughter dating me.

"Actually, I wanted Ruby to come with me to meet my parents halfway through the break. Naturally, Blake and Yang are invited." He nods his head, and looks over me towards the two of them.

"I see no problem with that." Blake says, earning a nod from him.

"Sure, why not. Can't wait to see the size of the bathroom." Yang answers after Blake.

"Going to Schnee Manor, eh? I think I'll go with you four, then." The voice is coming from the doorway, and when we all look, it is Mr Qrow standing there with a grin on his face, "I haven't seen ol' Will in a while."

"Qrow, the man is scared of you, is it wise to go there?"

_Wait, my dad is actually scared of someone!?_

"Hey, if I'm there he won't bad mouth my niece. I think it's perfect." Mr Qrow answers with a smirk, "Besides, with the Vytal Festival coming up after the girls go back to Beacon . . . I figured I could train them until then, and that's not optional, ladies."

"Wait, what!?" We all shout in harmony, making Mr Qrow smirk even more.

"It's almost 3PM. Meet me outside in fifteen-hundred, thirty hours, and we start." He disappears around the doorway, making his way into the kitchen. We all look at each other, then finally at Mr Xiao Long who shakes his head and sighs.

"I suggest you all get ready. Weiss, I would like to speak to you later about your current status with my daughter, but that is nothing to be rushed." Ruby's dad makes his way out of the living room and goes upstairs, leaving the four of us staring at each other at what just happened.

"Uncle Qrow . . ." Yang begins.

". . . Is going to train us?" Ruby finishes.

"THIS."

"WILL"

"BE"

**"AWESOME!" **The sister's finish in sync.


	56. Training, Day I

**_POV: QROW_**

**_Chapter 56 – Training, Day I_**

I stand outside in the open field in the backyard. It is exactly two minutes prior to the time I told the four of them to get outside. Weiss is already out here, being the first to arrive and is patiently sitting on one of the patio chairs, awaiting instruction. Looking above the kitchen door and towards the upstairs window, which is Ruby's room, a little higher and I can see Blake sitting in the open window for the attic, patiently waiting my word to hop down so we may begin.

With about thirty seconds left I can see both Ruby and Yang coming through from the kitchen. Ruby being the one to force the two of them to be on tome by shoving her sister through the kitchen and out the back door.

"Alright." I begin. Weiss stands up from her chair and follows behind Ruby and Yang. Blake slides out of the window and surfs down the steep slope of the roof to the side of the house and walks to join her three teammates. "First off, Weiss, Blake, I need to see your semblances. Weiss, you first."

Ruby and Yang step aside, leaving Weiss ample room in front of me while she extends her right hand. A partially opaque glyph forms in front of her with the diameters of about two meters. The intricate snowflake design in the center that rotates within the large circle compliments the icy-blue color of the semblance user's eyes.

"I use them mostly with dust for various effects, without Myrtenaster to use the dust chambers, I can only make this glyph which is more of a basic shield, platform, and launch pad." She explains before making it disappear.

"Weiss, what about the fancy tiny glyph that can block a crap-ton?" Yang speaks up, and hearing that instantly drags my attention.

"It's nowhere near perfected." She states simply, but it seems Weiss is misinterpreting the meaning of training.

"Weiss, show me that glyph." I state, and her eyes snap to me in minor surprise, but she poses no argument and forms a small glyph in the palm of her hand. It is completely solid, but the tiny size pales in comparison to the one she formed moments ago.

"This is as big as I can make it. It can possibly get bigger, but if I try now it shatters, like so." She reinforces her statement by slowly making the glyph expand, but shortly after its growth it shatters like glass, and the broken remains disappear into thin air when they touch the grass below.

_She needs to keep using that glyph to adjust her body to it. It will most likely grow on its own, and be able to form much quicker . . . that's not a problem._

"Blake? What about your semblance?" I turn my head to the Faunus girl who takes a deep breath. I can sense a spike in her aura, and what feels like two people taking the place of one. She takes the moment to sidestep, leaving an exact copy of her standing there in the same position she was in prior to her side movement.

"I can create a shadow clone. It is not very durable, and cannot stay in appearance that far from me. I use it as a platform to push off of, either on the ground or mid-air. Or as a shield to take a fatal hit for me should it be required."

_Hm…_

I walk up to the formed copy and gently place my palm to the forehead. I am not surprised to see that it is fully solid based on the fact that she told me she uses it as a platform. I give a gentle flick of the forehead to it, seeing there to be no change. I do so again with much more force, and surely enough it dematerializes.

"Form it again, Blake. But do it slower, and focus more." I state, and as requested she does so again. I watch her carefully, her aura not spiking as much, but gradually building to the same peak as earlier. When she sidesteps this time I look at her shadow clone. It's the exact same as earlier, but as I step in front of it I jump when the eyes move to focus onto me.

"Something wrong?" Blake asks, and I shake my head, flicking the clone with the same strength from earlier, and surprisingly it doesn't disappear. I do so once more, with another increase in strength, becoming satisfied with its dematerialization.

_The more aura she focuses into it . . . the closer it becomes to a doppelganger._

"And how far can you be from one before it disappears?"

"2 meters at most."

I nod my head in response, already knowing the exercises I will put these two through.

"Blake, I want you to sit on the patio and meditate. Try to focus as much aura as you can, and hold it at the peak. If you break concentration, then continue doing so until I come and tell you to stop." Blake nods her head and walks off to sit at the side of the patio where she sits cross legged. Her palms rest on her lap, her eyes shut, and her body becomes completely still. Her focus shows she has done this before, but what I will have her do later will possibly push her body to a quick limit.

"Weiss, how many enhanced glyphs are you capable of making so far?"

"I can only make two, and they need to be centimeters from my hand. My others can be made at much more impressive distances." Again I nod my head and look to Yang, getting an idea in my head.

"Yang, Weiss . . . focus mitt training with those glyphs. Yang, I want you to throw only straights to each one, alternatively. Weiss, I want you to get rid of the glyph after each punch. Keep doing that until one of you collapses from exhaustion. Think of it as an endurance match . . . Yang's stamina vs your aura pool." The two of them grin at the idea and move further away from the house to not disturb Blake who already appears to be deep into her concentration.

"And me Uncle Qrow?" I hear Ruby ask. Her fists are clenched underneath her head, and her gray eyes look at me in deep focus and expectation for me to have something outstanding for her to do.

"Get Crescent Rose and meet me out front." I say. She is excited to say the least and runs inside the house with me not far behind.

"Zwei." I look underneath the table in the kitchen to see the little Corgi taking a nap, but waking up at my call. "Gonna need your help, little guy."

He answers with a happy pair of barks and begins running at my side while we go to the front. We are joined moments later by Ruby, carrying her Crescent Rose in its compact form.

"First . . . hand it over." I say, and the saddened look on her face shows she knows what is coming.

She places Crescent Rose on my palm. I hold still, letting the weapon balance before slowly tilting my hand to the left, and then to the right. When I tilt it to the right, I feel it begin to slide off and immediately catch it.

_It's still top heavy . . . this doesn't make it any easier._

"Tell me, did you add anything else to Crescent Rose?" I ask, already knowing the new modification to it.

"Well, not add . . . I replaced the old sight." Ruby says with a slightly nervous tone in her voice.

"Oh? Isn't the sight you had the one I got you before you went to Beacon?" I ask, teasing her with a hurt look on my face while I open up Crescent Rose to its sniper form. Upon seeing the new sight, I become struck with awe at how sturdily crafted it is, and peeking through the scope I can't feel any hate for having my gift for Ruby replaced . . . this new sight is by far something that even I would have difficulty designing. Unless . . . I could get my hands on it for a few hours.

"I . . . it was a gift from Weiss! I couldn't just NOT put it on. Plus it's really really cool, and it's all high tech . . . and I love the letters on the side too!" Ruby rambles on and on, feeling as though she hurt me dearly for not using the sight I got her. She's far too kind-hearted. If she were to turn down this sight, then I would be the first to call my niece a downright moron for the very first time in my life.

"It's fine, Ruby. In fact, I think this new sight would do you well when it comes to long range combat . . . however, what we are here to work on is your quickshot accuracy." I look at her and hand Crescent Rose to her. "Get into your standard stance."

While I give her the command I turn around and walk a few meters away. When I turn around I see her with Crescent Rose's Blade resting on the ground, and in a prime position for her to either look through the sight to shoot, or tense her shoulder and swing her blade just as I've taught her. Her right hand is along the shaft of the weapon, holding it close to her body with her left hand further down, and her index finger itching to reach out and pull the trigger.

"We're not shooting, Ruby, but on my signal I want you to aim at me like you normally would . . . As if I were a creature of grim." My words make her eyes sharpen and nod her head. She moves her left leg back, giving her more of a sideways stance to me, which shortens the time she will need to line up her shot properly. I keep my hands at my side, taking a few deep breaths before I finally shout.

"DRAW!"

On command she aims her weapon, but the real lesson is just beginning. As her right eye closes and her left lowers to the sight, I bring my hands out in front of me. What I want to teach her is that she can't always look through her sight to aim her shots. I focus my aura into my hands, causing them to glow brightly, and once her eye is finally in the perfect spot to see through the scope, she jumps back and drops Crescent Rose from the blinding flash I used.

"Ow, ow, ow!" She screams, placing a hand over her eye, then looking at me with a dissatisfied expression written all over her face.

"Sorry, Ruby. That was to prove a point." While I speak I begin to walk towards her. "You want to be accurate on every shot, but that is just not possible with a quick enemy in range. You rely on your scope, or at least you rely on looking through any form of sight, even if it's just a simple iron sight. I want you to shoot without needing to peek over the barrel. Your enemy won't always wait for you to line them up. Your 'evil creature of grim' for this training will be Zwei."

"But Uncle Qrow! I don't want to shoot Zwei!" She pouts. I reach out to Crescent Rose, carefully taking off the scope and give her a serious glare that makes her take a step back.

"Ruby . . . Without a sight you couldn't hit Zwei to save your life." The look she gives me isn't of discouragement, it is the exact opposite.

"There's not a target in this world I can't hit, Uncle Qrow!" She pouts, then looks at Zwei who has been walking next to me the entire time. "Let's do this Zwei!"

_That's my niece._

"Alright Zwei, just dodging, and stay in sight. Go." Zwei darts off to about the distance I was at previously and begins to bark, signaling he is ready. I decide to leave those two alone, and walk to the backyard to see how the other three are faring so far. When I walk through the kitchen and out the back door I am greeted by a blinding, purple light to my right.

_How can she . . . already!? She's far too skilled. I'm certain she must have an insane amount of combat experience, but how?_

"Blake." I speak in a whisper to not startle or break her out of her focus. "I want you to activate your semblance right now."

The bright purple light begins to fade. I walk to the front of where the light is, and once it is fully faded I am left with the sight of two identical Faunus girls staring at me, even blinking in perfect sync. Thankfully the real one shakes her head and begins to sway, appearing to be weak from the intense usage of aura.

"Ugh . . . I feel dizzy after that." She groans, placing a hand on her head. However, both of us become treated to a very large surprise.

"Don't be so dramatic." The other states with a roll of the eyes. Blake . . . the REAL Blake, and I both look at the doppelganger in surprise. I reach out, poking it in the forehead, and immediately a dissatisfied look is shot towards me.

"Don't do that." It stays simply, and I raise my hands up in forgiveness.

"Well, would you kindly do me a favor and just walk a few steps over there?" I point in a random direction.

_. . . That should get rid of you_

The clone stands up, shrugging her shoulders while she walks past me, and just as predicted, it disappears after going too far from Blake.

"That was . . . an experience." I comment and look back at Blake who is still giving off a confused look to where her twin just disappeared from.

"I rather not do that again." She whispers, still panting from exhaustion.

"Well, I would like you to meditate again, and this time . . . cut it down by about 20% . . . You want your clone to be able to move at your will . . . not think independently" I say, still recovering from being told off by a mere manifestation of aura.

"Yes, Sir." She mutters and takes a deep breath before going into her meditating for a second time. I decide it be best to leave her alone, and decide to go over to Weiss and Yang, but of which are starting to feel fatigue. Yang's right straight is starting to slow down, possibly from soreness of having it thrown constantly, Weiss' glyph is appearing just barely on time, and solidifies at a much slower rate than when she first introduced it to me. Yang appears to have already known what I wanted to show her since she is not using all of her aura in each punch. The exhaustion written on her however tells me she learned her lesson far too late. Whether she likes it or not she will need to learn to manage her aura usage, and putting her up against Weiss who appears to be ideal in that department is no less than a perfect scenario.

On top of that, Weiss is now getting to test her semblance in a more thorough manner that should leave her with a better experience of the feeling when she activates it. She can control her aura enough to create something powerful, but she is incapable of maintaining it for long, or putting more into it. When I am done with her I expect her glyph to be at least double in size.

"You two are doing well . . . keep it up."

_Nothing to confront those two on . . . their workout is very straightforward._

I decide to go into the house and take a seat in the living room for a few minutes before checking on Blake, and then I will go see Ruby's progress with Zwei.

"Gave up on them already, Qrow?" Tai asks while I step into the living room. He is sitting back on his recliner, leaving me to lay back on the couch before responding.

"Not in the slightest, they all specialize in different things . . . They have no idea how lucky they are with the diversity within their team. One member could help cover for the weaknesses of the other, it is very good to see."

"Strongest of them?"  
"Yang?"

"Fastest?"

"Ruby of course."

"Smartest?"

"I am still debating on that one. Weiss and Blake both are very intelligent in their own rights." I answer, now thinking of who of the two would be the smartest. "I will say that it appears Blake is the one with the most aura control. At least when she has time to think about it. I want to sharpen her ability to focus to build up aura in seconds rather than over five minutes of pure concentration. I feel slightly uneasy around her for some reason. There is nothing she hides from her team thus far . . . but I am sure there is a very large detail Team RWBY is hiding from us, or me at least since I am the one who formally spoke to her."

"What makes you think that, Qrow?" Tai sits up from his recliner, looking at me with an overly interested expression on his face.

"She's far too talented with her mental focus and aura control. Something like that requires one to be able to completely forget everything going on, and quite frankly at her age that should be impossible."

"Don't you think you're overreacting? You forget that there are people in this world that are capable of surpassing the normal feats of Hunters and Huntresses . . . Don't forget you are one of them." Tai whispers, but his compliment attacks me differently.

"I am considered as good as I am because I had you, Summer, and my sister with me. You and Summer were two of the best when it came to backup and attack support, and it was the security blanket I needed to go all out with little fear. Those days are long behind me." I sigh.

"Perhaps, but you continue to train Yang in methods that you yourself could barely do at her age. If I didn't know better I'd say you are training a legacy." Tai chuckles, but he is completely serious with his words.

"Possibly, but do not make it sound like I neglect my other niece at all. I stood by her side while she made Crescent Rose."

"She complained throughout her days at Signal that you did not help her a bit with it!"

"I reinforced the job she already did on Crescent Rose every night after she went to bed. She was talented enough to have ideas, but she did not have the proper touch to secure her modifications."

"Then you tell her that, Qrow!"

"That's not how you build confidence in an aspiring Huntress, Tai!" I shout in anger. "She has perfected her work with Crescent Rose. I saw her weapon earlier, and I could not find a single thing to change. She keeps her weapon top heavy, and I am sure it is done purposefully with how she utilizes the recoil. She knows exactly what she is doing with Crescent Rose now, and I kept my interference minimal. She thought she build Crescent Rose on her own, and since then she has modified Crescent Rose so many times that it is only a shadow of the weapon I remember fixing for the final time. That's HER Crescent Rose, and the fact of the matter is before I even plan on improving her semblance, I want her to have that weapon mastered, inside and out. I don't want her to just know how to swing and strike with confidence. One day she will need to approach things differently, and despite how highly adaptable she is, her developed habits do not contribute to keeping her adaptable."

"I wouldn't know, Qrow." Tai sighs and lowers his head. "Ruby and Yang both are aggressive in nature. I've let you teach them since I am defensive on the battlefield, and teaching them to fight in a way that does not suit their interests has no value since they will not be as attentive."

"Yes, well . . . the other two are more patient. At least our Schnee girl is. If anything I may want you to do aura training with her. Despite what people think, I do not have the largest aura . . . I just know how to use it, and trained to be able to do far more damage with less in use."

"Yes, yes. I'm the more educated of the two of us, Qrow. I know the whole deal with sharp, short pulses. 'Treat it like a bullet, not a cannon ball'. You taught that to Yang, but she can't seem to master it."

"Don't remind me. Her punches have more 'push' than any real damage. If anything it's the impact when someone hits the wall that does the real damage." I roll my eyes at how hard it is to teach my own sister's daughter how to fight.

"Well, she doesn't need to do so that much anymore with the addition of Ember Celica to her arsenal . . . she lets the buckshots do the impact damage for her."

"I suppose so. She has a weapon that makes up for her weakness. That seems to be the opposite of Ruby, doesn't it?" I inquire, and Tai looks at me, waiting for me to explain, but when I do not continue he asks away.

"What do you mean by that, Qrow?"

"Well, Yang's weapon makes up for her weakness of not being able to control her aura to its most effective method. Ruby's weapon on the other hand IS her weakness. Without Crescent Rose, Ruby is helpless in a fight. She eats, sleeps, and breathes weaponry. Weiss has her glyphs that can be used offensively and defensively, Blake has the use of her shadow clone . . . a unique semblance that can have a limitless amount of uses. Yang is her own supernova, for Remnant's sake." At my mention of Yang, Tai groans and falls back into his recliner again.

"Ugh, don't remind me. She blew up the gym."

"Again?"

"…again"

"That temper problem of hers is never going to get better. Is it?" I ask, and Tai gives me a look as if that was the stupidest question I could have ever asked. "Okay . . . you're right."

I sigh, standing up from the couch, figuring I should go to check on Blake before she focuses far too much aura into herself again.

"Checking on Belladonna?" Tai asks me while I make my way to the doorway.

""Bella-what now?"

"Blake." He says with a roll of his eyes.

"Yes I am. Keep my seat warm for me." I chuckle and make my way to the kitchen.

"I'm not going to sit on the couch for you!" Tai shouts while I am walking away.

"Good, I meant the recliner!" My answer makes him chuckle.

I leave through the kitchen door, half-expecting to be blinded by Blake's aura, but when I look it is not as bright as before. I can see her clearly through the slight glow around her body. The light surrounding her body soon disappears. It seems like she was expecting me to be the one to leave the house.

I watch as a clone of herself is formed once more, and this time Blake stands up along with the double. The two of them walk towards me, but before I can question which the real one is, one of the two speaks up.

"I think I did it properly this time, Mister Qrow." Who I assume to be the real Blake says with a smug look on her face.

"I see . . . can you prove it?" That is possibly the worst thing I could have asked for. The moment I question her progress, I am caught with the clone throwing a sweeping low kick that I hop over, but then the real Blake doing a similar sweep kick that pulls my legs out from underneath me while I am in mid-air.

Had I been ready for it, it is an easy attack to dodge, but she displayed the coordination she is capable of having with her current clone. While I fall, I decide to show my own combat ability. I place my hands below me, catching myself on my palms instead of landing flat on my ass. In my current position I take the chance to use my legs in a scissor-like manner to trip Blake onto the ground, bringing her eye level with me while I flash a confident grin.

"We are still far apart, but I am glad you are able to do that. I want you to work on this later when your energy is back up. I would like to talk to you later, however. After you relax . . . you're done." I slide to my feet and help her up. Her clone makes me feel uneasy, so I give a quick, open palm thrust that makes it disappear. I probably should have checked how durable it is, but what's done is done. I look out into the open field to see that Yang and Weiss are still somehow at it.

_Wow . . . I didn't think they had it in the-_

My thought is cut off when Yang collapses from too much aura exertion, but Weiss is not far behind and drops down to a knee. I see her hold out her left hand, trying to form her glyph, but it shatters the moment she attempts to.

"You two are done!" I shout to them and make my way around the house to go to the front and check on Ruby. When I get there I am surprised to see she has taken her practice a little further, is now holding her weapon in its gun form. She keeps it hanging down, and lifts it for a quick shot, then drops it again before making another attempt.

"Hey, I thought you were going to practice with Crescent Rose fully extended." I say, but Ruby points down to Zwei who begins to trot over. He is perfectly fine and healthy, but a single red dot on his fur lets me know that Ruby did make contact.

"I see, so you stepped it up after getting him?" I ask while Zwei hops into my arms. I look at the slightly bloodied fur, and check the little Corgi for anymore wounds, but he is completely fine otherwise.

"Sorry, buddy. Didn't think she'd actually hit you. I'll give you a second helping tonight, alright?" Zwei barks twice at my response, and I chuckle at his love for extra food. "Alright, fine . . . I'll give you a third one too . . . now get in the house, I'll give you a little wash later."

Satisfied after winning his negotiation, Zwei shakes free from my arms and runs into the house, and an even more satisfied Ruby looks at me with a triumphant smile.

"Alright, alright. You did good. Those friends of yours really helped you grow."

"Ahem! More like 'Ruby, I was totally wrong. You did awesomely. You're the most surest sureshot within 100 miles of Vale!' and also . . . I don't need people to help me grow! I drink milk!" She nods her head and tosses her rifle over her shoulder before walking off to the house.

_. . . Milk or not, I am impressed_

* * *

Didn't get much feedback on the last chapter . . . Hopefully this one draws more out of you guys!

:D Hope you liked it! I'm trying to not write Author's Notes as much so you can just enjoy the story back to back without me ruining it T.T


	57. The Start to a Daring Evening

**_POV: WEISS SCHNEE_**

**_Chapter 57 – The Start to a Daring Evening_**

"Seriously, Ice Queen. You're really this tired?" Yang sighs as we walk into the living room, or rather as she carries me on her back into the living room.

Mister Qrow's training left me completely exhausted and weak. I thought I would be able to move no problem seeing as Yang completely collapsed when we finished and I had enough strength to catch myself on one knee, but yet again I am reminded that aura alone does not help recovery. Yang has the physical capacity to supersede some of the required healing effects of aura. What would leave one person down for the count without any aura to mend fatigue and injuries will not necessarily hold down Yang considering her body's natural strength and will power.

"I told you to just leave me there. But you decided to ignore me and carry me off like a true barbarian!" I protest.

Once we arrive in the living room I am greeted by odd looks from Mr Xiao Long, and Blake who is sitting on the floor with her back against the foot of the couch and watching whatever sports are on TV with Mr Xiao Long.

"I knew she was royalty . . . but this is ridiculous." He comments. He keeps a straight face the entire time, but Blake and Yang can't help to contain their laughter at the joke made. It was a joke made in good taste, but I still begin to blush in embarrassment at my more helpless state. If I am going to get to a level I can be proud of, then I am going to need to do things in a much more determined fashion.

Yang is careful enough to go beside Blake and lower down to a knee, leaving me room to fall back onto the couch and do my best to shimmy myself towards one side to leave room to fit another two people, however Yang decides to sit on the ground next to Blake and lean her head on Blake's shoulder, who quickly pushes Yang away.

"Aw, come on Kittycat! I busted my ass with Ice Queen, let me have this!"

"What's that supposed to mean!?" I interrupt, but Yang doesn't so much as turn to look in my direction.

"We've been through this Yang." Blake responds, then slides away from Yang, leaving the blonde brawler sighing in defeat. After Blake inches away she leans towards Yang to lay her head on Yang's lap with her back on the ground, still leaving her in a position to watch TV. "You're my portable heater . . . I do the resting, you do the heating."

"You're no fun." Yang sighs, but with a much happier tone than earlier.

"I see, you two aren't really dating, yet. My daughter is just a really good heater. I think it all makes sense now. I knew Yang wasn't capable of finding anybody decent." Mr Xiao Long says in his same, stern expression that makes me and Blake snicker, leaving Yang to be the one to look at her father with embarrassment on her face.

"No, we are dating . . . She asked me out about 37 times, possibly more . . . so after getting annoyed I decided to finally say yes." Blake's answer leaves me clenching my stomach from laughing so hard, and Yang becomes the center of all of our jokes for the time being.

"Hey! It was 26 . . . get it right." Yang folds her arms, giving annoyed stares to her father and Blake.

"Where's Ruby?" I interrupt, looking around to see a lack of her, Mister Qrow, and Zwei.

"Miss your other half, Weiss?" I hear Blake speak up with a teasing tone, but at the sound of Zwei's barking she jumps and clings to Yang

I can hear the little paws flying past the living room and going straight for the kitchen, and the next person to enter the house is Ruby, who turns into the living room and hops onto the couch after seeing me there.

"Princess!" She shouts, pushing one of my legs off the couch so she can sit between my legs and lean against me. I wrap my arms around her, laying my head against hers with a bright smile crossing my lips at having her in my arms.

"Took your sweet time getting here, Dolt." I whisper into her ear and plant a quick kiss on her temple. I am given a quick gaze from her father after the action, but I do my best to not let it bother me. I want her father's approval, but not if it means I can't show any affection to my girlfriend at all with his presence.

"Hey, Tai. I don't think we have enough in the fridge for six people." We all look to see the silent entry from Mr Qrow, who is holding Zwei in his arms.

"Not like I have a choice . . . I don't trust you driving a car I spent half on." Mr Xiao Long says and slides up from his recliner, at the same time I gesture for Ruby to let me up, and she does so rather reluctantly.

"I'm not that bad of a driver! One time! Just once and you never let me forget it, sheesh." Mr Qrow sighs and walks outside while I discreetly tail him. The only person really aware of my disappearance is Ruby, but I assume she knows why I left.

"Following me?" Mr Qrow asks me after we get outside, but when Mr Xiao Long follows it is apparent why I followed, and he makes his way to the car, leaving me with Ruby's father.

"Yes, Weiss?" He asks after stepping in front of me.

"You wanted to have a short talk. I figured it may be good to say what is needed now. If it ends poorly, then driving for you will help relax, and me being around my team will relax me." He nods his head, finding little flaw in my logic and motions me to follow him to his car. He walks to the driver's seat and enters while I walk around to the passenger's side.

"Get out, Qrow." Mr Xiao Long says while the passenger door opens before I am even near.

"Come on! I get kicked off the patio, and now a car I own half of? Why must you act all _Tai_ and mighty with my niece's adorable lover?" Qrow's voice is sarcastic and playful, but I make more notice of his terrible pun that reminds me just how happy I am that Yang has not made a joke recently.

". . . Qrow . . ."

"Okay, fine. Grumpy." Qrow sighs, leaving the car and walking to the patio to take a seat while I slide into the car and close the door.

"There is really not much I have to say. Simply the things a parents feels the need to." He leans back against his chair, looking through the windshield to the garage door.

"And those are things I must listen to since I am dating your daughter." I respond, and a slight scoff leaves his lips.

"I suppose Will raised you properly for you to say something as responsible as that."

"My father raised me to represent myself properly, although always as the one that is better than everyone else. After being in Beacon I've learned to humble myself a bit . . . despite how close to perfection I am." Again I earn a momentary laugh.

"Sadly, that makes perfect sense . . . aside from you being near perfection, that is. Anyway, let me say what I feel the need to say, and I will leave you to say your own words." He looks at me and I give a nod of my head.

_He's very down-to-earth. I think I could get along with him easily._

"Anyway, while what I said earlier about not trusting my daughter dating someone older than her is true whichever way you look at it. I will not let that alone force me to dislike you, nor will your parents."

"You make it sound like I am already disliked."

"You are not. I am more interested in how you realized your feelings for Ruby, and how you have lived this long without Yang beating you to a pulp . . . which I am sure she has wanted to do."

"It's . . . not a pretty story. At least not the final few events that lead me to dating Ruby." I lower my head, remembering Yang's fatal hook that left Ruby glued to a wall within the dorm room.

"Well, answer me just three questions, and I will leave it at that." I nod my head to his compromise. "First off, who asked who?"

"I asked Ruby . . . with the support of Yang mainly, and ironically."

"Yang . . . my daughter, Yang?"

"Like I said . . . it's not a pretty story, and if Yang was there to support me, no matter how little it was . . . then that just reinforces my earlier statement." I sigh, trying to keep those thoughts out of my head.

"Fair enough. How long did it take you to decide to ask my daughter out, and finally do the action?"

"Again, it revolves around an unfortunate event . . . From my ultimatum to the carryout itself, it was a two day span."

"Seems a little rushed in my eyes."

"Perhaps it was, but my feelings for her were strong, and something that happened lead me to believe she shared my feelings. It's all very complicated, and I would be happy to- . . . not happy to, but more than ready to tell of the event when we both have more time at hand." I take deep, slow breaths, fighting away my oncoming tears as I prepare for the third question.

"I see, my last question is just a yes or no. Did Qrow already threaten you?"

"Yes."

"I see, then I have nothing else to say or do . . . Qrow is much more intimidating than me, and when it comes to his nieces . . . he means every word of what he says. All I will add is that I share his same decision." He looks at me with a focused stare before extending his left hand for me to shake. I reach out to do the same, but during the handshake he pulls me in and gives me a gentle hug that leaves me surprised. "Welcome to the family."

I smile from his one armed hug and make my way out of the car feeling much more at ease with myself. As I leave the car, Mr Qrow stands up from the bench on the patio and goes into the car with Zwei at his side before it is started and backed out of the driveway for the three of them to head into town. I walk back into the house, and when I do I am caught on my blindside by someone I cannot identify since they make care to not make any body contact. My eyes are covered by some kind of cloth, and I am carefully being lead up the stairs.

"Yang, Blake, Ruby! I swear when I find out which one of you this is I will make your evening VERY unpleasant! Ruby, I will go through your cookie stash. Blake, I will put Zwei in the attack and lock the window from the outside! And Yang . . . ooo the numerous methods of torture and murder I have thought of throughout my years on this Earth shall be brought down upon you!"

My threats also go ignored, leaving my captor in mystery. As I am carefully lead to the top of the steps I am turned to go in the direction of Yang's room, and the bathroom. After a few more steps I am turned to the left, and therefore placed into Yang's room based on my memory of the house's layout. After I am lead into the room I hear the door being kicked closed and the cloth is taken off of my eyes, allowing me to look over my shoulder and be greeted by the straight face of Blake. The anger on my face is apparent, and before I can raise my voice and scream a healthy combination of insults, she places a finger to my lips.

"I was blackmailed by Yang into this . . . The picture she has I am both willing to kill her, and somewhat complimented." After she speaks I reach up and move her finger off of my lips.

"And why am I being dragged into this?"

"Actually, I dragged you AND Ruby into this, because I refuse to go down alone." Blake pulls out her scroll and shows me the video she has of Ruby and I kissing earlier today, and a very revealing panty shot that appears to have been from the day I arrived. "I am not sure Qrow or Mr Tai will be happy to see either one of these."

"You dirty, blackmailing Faunus!" I shout at her, my cheeks red with embarrassment.

"I try my hardest."

"So where is Ruby and Yang?" I ask with little satisfaction in my voice. Blake points behind me and when I look I see Ruby and Yang sitting down on the floor. Yang has a bright smile on her face, and Ruby has her head down, clearly not satisfied with the blackmail either.

"H-hey Weiss." Ruby says while keeping her head low. "I told Blake to leave you out of this . . . whatever it is."

"Wait, they haven't even told you!? What the hell are you two planning!?" I look at Yang, then at Blake who now joins the other two and motions me over. Yang is the one to answer me.

"Well, I wanted to play truth or dare with my Kittycat since Uncle and Dad always take forever to get back from the town . . . and she said that she will if you two join . . . then I said, sure if she could actually convince you two to do it, and she pulled out her blackmail card." Yang leans back, laying her head on the side of her bed and begins to giggle. "My Kittycat's a smarty."

"More like a sneaky devil." I growl and move to sit next to Ruby who wraps her arms around me in a gentle hug.

"Alright. You three know the rules I'm assuming." Yang says in a gleeful tone and reaches behind her to pull up a bottle it appears she just emptied considering the residue left inside. "Since Blake decided to drag you two into this, I think she should have the honor of starting!"

Ruby and I look at each other nervously and take a deep breath. Both of us turn our heads to the bottle as it begins to spin from Blake's quick wrist flick. Everyone's eyes glue to the spinning glass bottle, except for Blake who patiently waits for it to stop.

"Ruby . . . truth or dare." Blake says before the bottle even stops.

"What? It didn't even point at me!" Ruby claims, but seconds later we all go quiet when the bottle stops directly in front of Ruby.

"Now that the formalities are gone . . . truth or dare." Blake smirks, looking at Ruby with a gaze that has a mix of playfulness and intimidation.

"Truth." Ruby says without hesitation.

_Smart, play it safe . . . We have no idea how pissed Blake is at Yang._

"How loud was Weiss screaming during prom night?"

_Damnit Blake!_ My eyes widen and my cheeks go red at Blake's heavy shot of a question. Ruby's face takes on a similar expression, and Yang looks at Blake with her hair starting to flare up. Blake is using Yang's own game as a way to get back for the blackmail, although I wish she would have found a less embarrassing question to ask.

"I . . . um . . . well . . . h-her thighs kind of . . . st-st-stopped most of the noise." Ruby answers, and I quickly reach over and cover her mouth. Yang is completely jaw dropped, and Blake is laughing her ass off.

"D-Dolt! Why did you answer!?" I scream, and she yanks my hand off of her lips so she can respond.

"It's truth or dare! I have to. It's the rule!" She pouts, her cheeks just as red as mine while she looks down and fidgets in place.

_Why must you be so adorable and naïve?_

"Just . . . spin the bottle, Dunce."

"S-Sorry." She looks at me with her soft eyes, tapping her index fingers together nervously. Her sweet little face forces me to look away

_So cute . . ._

Finally I hear the bottle spinning, and when it stops I look down to see it pointing at me.

"Truth" I answer before Ruby could ask me the question. I don't plan on getting too brave in this game, lest I am ready for a trap. Ruby may have been the safest person to take a dare from, but I am still not sure just what she may do to take advantage of the situation.

"What did you talk about with my dad?" I look at her in surprise to just how quick she is to take advantage of this game. I don't very much approve of it, but I am far too stubborn to give in to anything, even a simple game. Plus, if I call I nthe flag now, Blake may very well show that picture and video.

"Just that he trusts me with you, and wanted to know how we ended up going out." While I answer I reach out and give the bottle a spin, smirking to no end when it lands on Yang.

"Yang . . . Xiao . . . Long. Truth or dare?" I smirk, ready to get even with Yang for being the one to start this domino effect that now has Ruby and I stuck in this situation.

"Dare. I'll get you back later in the game anyway." She says with a confident smirk.

"We'll see about that. I dare you . . . to let Blake . . ."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_Okay, now one of the first things I feel people will say is that this chapter is short compared to my others. Now, while I will agree . . .

In my defense, my standard has always been 2500 words. For some reason I have just been on a roll and been capable of doing 4k+ worded chapters, and while I do enjoy writing in larger quantity, I do not want everyone to come to expect it from me as always. xD Not fair for me to get criticized because I have just been on a writing roll the past few chapters xD

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed! Please review and all the stuff I always asked for :D


	58. Deserted Duos

**_POV: RUBY ROSE_**

**_Chapter 58 – Deserted Duos_**

"No, no, no, no, no! You can't be serious Weiss! I can't let Blake do _that!_ Are you kidding me?" My sister pleas and begs while Blake leaves the room with a grin on her face in search of the item she needs.

"Your game, and your rules, Yang. That is of course . . . if you want to give Blake whatever photo you have so we can all rest easy." Weiss smiles. She has my sister completely trapped in a corner, each way both destroying her pride.

"Ugh! This isn't fair! I just wanted this to be with Blake!" Yang shouts, trying to change the topic.

"Well, the picture I am not so worried about, but you are the one who supported her when she recorded that video. In the end you dug your own grave, Yang." Weiss counters, bringing the conversation back to where it began.

"You weren't serious with that dare, right? Please tell me you weren't!" Yang sits there panicking, her fingers interlaced in a pleading motion to Weiss who appears to be enjoying this far too much.

"The picture, and the dare is off, Yang. It's that simple."

"But . . . I just . . ."

"Snip, snip, Yang." Weiss taunts, and Yang winces at the twin words.

"FINE!" Yang shouts and pulls out her scroll, placing it on the ground where Blake has been sitting. "Blake can delete the stupid picture!"

Looking at my sis how she is now is a bit painful. The moment Weiss completed the sentence of the dare, her eyes went wide and she went into an instant begging phase. Something I have never seen her do in all of her life. To think Weiss would be wicked enough to dare Yang to let Blake cut her hair is beyond my comprehension. Yang gets defensive when someone even touches her hair. I can only imagine the rage, or pain she would have gone through if she refused to give up the picture.

"Alright, Blake. The picture's yours." Weiss calls out, and instantly Blake comes in through the door with a smile on her face.

"You two . . . tricked me?" Yang asks in realization and shock at the crafty thinking of the Monochrome duo.

"Quite effectively too. Thank you for your cooperation, Yang." Blake says while picking up the scroll and sliding through until she finds the blackmail picture of herself and makes short work in erasing it. At the same time she takes out her scroll, giving Yang's back, and then kneeling next to Weiss while she goes through to erase the image and video that were taken earlier. Everyone being satisfied with the ending result (aside from Yang that is), we all decide to continue with the game, much to Yang's surprise.

"Next time, Yang . . . how about you play it clean." Weiss sighs, reaching an arm around me to pull me against her. "Last thing I need is Ruby in stuck between a rock and a hard place."

_Aw, she cares!_

"Fine, fine . . . mine turn to spin, then." Yang reaches out to the bottle and gives it a firm turn. It lands on me, and Yang flashes me a confident smile that makes me feel whichever I choose now will be a trap either way.

"Alright, Baby sis. Truth or dare?" She says each word with a slow break in between. With Yang holding the reigns I rather not take any chances. It's best to go conservative.

"Truth." I say for the second time during the game.

"Perfect. Let's hear how long you've had a crush on Weiss." Yang smiles at me. It's a pretty tame truth, but still embarrassing nonetheless.

"Well . . ." I begin, and feel Weiss press her lips to my cheek which makes a hardcore blush coat my face.

"Since . . . a-after the Emerald Forest initiation. She yelled at me and all . . . but she saved me, yelled at me in Port's class a few times . . . then started bringing me coffee at night and tutoring me . . . W-Weiss just always made me feel so back and forth, and I guess each time she made me feel 'forth' it was just . . ." I fidget where I am sitting, and Weiss makes it a point to hold me tighter and plant another kiss on my cheek.

"Dolt." She whispers in my ear and holds me tight in her arms. I reach around her with my right hand to hug her while I spin the bottle with my left. I wrap my left arm around Weiss, completing the hug and ignoring the bottle until I no longer hear the glass rotating on the wooden floor.

"Blake," I say after looking where the bottle stopped. "Truth or dare."

"Let's make it a truth for now." She answers with a smug smile on her face.

"What are the top three things you like about my sis? . . . You gotta explain too, and no sarcasm." I grin. Blake gives me a scolding stare, while I snuggle my face into Weiss' shoulder and watch as Yang looks at Blake with peaking interest. After a long silence Blake closes her eyes and sighs.

"Well, I love her hair. It's warm, smooth, soft, and looks great on her . . . plus . . . it reminds me a bit of yarn." Blake looks away from the three of us, although the slightly growing blush on her cheeks makes us all smile. Especially Yang who reaches over and pulls Blake onto her lap. "Yang! You let me down this instance!"

"Our deal, Kittycat. You said if I don't beat anyone to a pulp that acts like an ass to you 'cause you're a Faunus, then you'll sit on my lap whenever!"

"Of course you'd remember that. Anyway," Blake begins to continue, blushing more now that Yang is holding her. Yang leans to one side, her face appearing around the side of Blake's arm so she can look at Blake's face while she goes through the other two.

"I . . . I like her personality. She's confident, protective, caring when she needs to be, and so many other things. She's arrogant, and thick-skulled, but at the same time it flaunts who she is as a person." Blake's monotone is broken while she speaks in more of a slow, thoughtful whisper. Her cheeks continue to darken while she keeps speaking about Yang, and my sister's face begins to glow with happiness at each and every word.

"And . . . finally I well . . . I like her . . . physique." Blake's cheeks turn a crimson red, and she goes silent.

"Gotta explain, Blake . . . that's part of the bet." Weiss cuts in while still holding me.

"I . . . I have a soft spot for . . ." Blake stops again, biting into her lower lip and trying her hardest to get the words out.

"Aww, come on Kittycat, tell me." Yang encourages, holding Blake by the waist with a visible tensing in her arms that shows the hold being tightened.

"I like abs, Okay!?" Blake blurts out and quickly reaches for the bottle to spin it. My jaw drops at her final reason, more so because I recall when me and Shun were speaking in the gym, she was also gawking at Yang's abs. I guess I just don't understand people.

Yang's face at Blake's response goes beyond being priceless. Almost immediately Yang begins to pepper Blake's cheek and neck in a flurry of kisses. Blake doing her best to ignore them and focuses on the bottle.

"Weiss," Blake whispers, calling out a name while the bottle is still spinning rather fast. "Truth or dare?"

I look over to Weiss who continues to stare at the bottle, waiting for it to come to a full stop before she answers, most likely hoping that Blake is wrong with her prediction of the target. I see a wince on Weiss' face when the bottle stops, pointing directly at her.

"Truth." Weiss, not so surprisingly answers.

"We might as well get this on the table. How long have _you _liked Ruby?" Blake asks with an accusing hint to her tone.

"Blake . . . you're evil." Weiss whispers, releasing me from her hug which lets me turn myself to face her while she struggles with answering.

"Good question, babe. She told me a length during the dance, but it was nothing exact. Kinda pissed you knew for a while and never told me, though." Yang says to Blake, and in turn I begin staring daggers at Blake for not telling me either since she knew I've liked Weiss since the very beginning.

"Since the moment she finished off the giant Nevermore." Weiss whispers, but instead of looking away she continues her explanation, much to my delight. "Seeing Ruby thinking of a plan on the fly . . . and trusting me enough to launch her to the giant grim . . . The entire spectacle was poetry in motion. That was the first time my heart fluttered, but don't get me mistaken. I would be lying if I said that it was always love at first sight. I was always more annoyed at how irresponsible and dimwitted she could be."

I sigh, dropping my head after the compliment begins to go downhill.

_Well, we can't win them all, Ruby._

Moments later I feel the cold digits of Weiss' hand trailing my jawline and lifting my head to make me face her.

"However, she's always had the cutest face and purest heart, and I will admit . . . that every time I called her a Dolt and saw those cute puppy-like eyes of hers . . . my heart melted further until I couldn't take anymore."

Weiss keeps her eyes on me and spins the bottle with her other hand. Her gentle fingers reach around to the back of my head and pull me towards her, along with her eyes closing while I lean in with no resistance. Just before our lips can connect we hear Yang's interrupt saying she is still here, but the sentence is cut off, most likely by Blake who lets Weiss and I share a brief, tongue entwining kiss that leaves both of us blushing on the pullback. Mostly because of the thin bridge of saliva that links our lips until we are far enough that it disintegrates in the air. Weiss looks down at the bottle, seeing it is pointed at Yang once more, and gets a wicked grin on her face.

"Truth or dare, Ms Xiao Long." She says with confidence radiating in her voice.

"Truth . . . I don't trust you." Yang responds, making Blake snicker, and me cover my mouth to avoid laughing at my sis actually backing away from a challenge.

"Fine . . . I think Ruby should cover her ears for this one." Weiss suggests.

"I wanna know!" I shout, folding my arms at the several times I've been excluded because of Yang being my sister, or purely because I am the youngest of the four.

"Just ask it, Weiss. Can't be too bad." Yang rolls her eyes.

"I warned you. How many people have you slept with, Yang?" Weiss asks without hesitation or stutter.

"C-cover her ears. NOW" Yang shouts, and Weiss quickly leans over to place her palms over my ears. I look at Yang, trying to read her lips, and on her answer Blake's eyes go wide, and I can feel Weiss' body go stiff. After a few stunning seconds of silence and Yang's unamused face, my ears are released, and all I can hear is Weiss still in amazement at the answer.

"That . . . many? H-Have you no decency!?" Weiss looks at Yang with a look of increasing shock.

"Ironically I was thinking it would be more." Blake whispers.

My sister remains silent at this point and just spins the bottle, her eyes lighting up when it goes to where Blake was sitting earlier.

"Kittycat! Truth or dare!" Yang purrs.

"Truth . . . I rather not take a dare with your sister around." Blake answers, and I fold my arms at again being the excuse to not enjoy the game to its fullest.

"How many issues of 'Ninjas of Love' do you plan on buying in the future?"

"I . . . have a lifetime subscription." Blake's face is red, but she still holds the unamused, blank face of hers that I can only identify as 'The Blake Face'. Blake reaches out to spin the bottle, and while it is spinning she again makes the early judgment, and even after waiting for it to come to a complete stop, it is proven to be right yet again.

"Little Red, truth or dare?"

_I'll show them I can be fun and stuff! This'll change the course of the game!_

"Dare." I grin, looking at Blake with a confident stare. Out the corner of my eye I spot Weiss surprised at my answer, and over Blake's shoulder my sister is grinning.

"Go get 'em, Sis!"

"Alright. I dare you to bring us all the cookies you have stashed in the house. I know you must have a few."

_My . . . My precious stashes!? Woman, are you mad!? Those are . . . those are my emergency bundles! In case of well . . . an emergency!_

I stand up, taking a deep breath as I leave the room and shut the door behind me. First place I go is into the attic and look around my large workstation for a loose floorboard that has two boxes locked up in an air-compressed bag to keep them as fresh as when they were bought. I carry the bag down and open Yang's room door, sliding it across the floor and closing the door before now going into my room. I move my dresser that's against the wall, exposing a hole behind it that I can reach into and pull out another bag with two boxes into it.

_My babies . . . Mommas gonna miss you._

I sigh, pushing my dresser back into place and carrying the other two boxes tightly in my arms while I return. The person most surprised is Weiss who already opened the bag to find that one of the boxes are empty, and the other is filled to the top with cookies, just like the ones in my arms are.

"Ruby . . . this is beyond comprehension."

"They're my emergency stash!" I defend and sit myself down, spinning the bottle with my left hand, but still clenching the two boxes in my other arm until Blake makes me put them down to share between the four of us. This time the bottle stops on Yang.

"Sis, truth or dare."

"Can't go letting my baby sis show me up, now can I? Dare."

"I dare you to chase Blake with Zwei when they get home."

"Yang, if you so much as make that dog look at me I will give you the cold shoulder for the rest of the vacation." Blake speaks swiftly, and immediately Yang looks discouraged

"S-Sis . . . could you maybe . . . give me something less . . . relationship hurting?" Yang mutters, and I sigh, knowing Blake is very capable of ignoring my sister.

"Fine, fine. I dare you to wear Blake's ribbon as a blindfold for the rest of the game." I shrug my shoulders, finding that to be an odd, yet fun alternative. Blake immediately supports the idea and reaches onto Yang's bed for her ribbon that has been there since morning and makes short work of tying it around the back of Yang's head, and being careful not to tie any hair along with it.

"This is . . . I feel like Daredevil." Yang mutters, reaching around for the bottle and spinning it once she finds it.

"It's going to land on Weiss." Blake says after a moment of watching.

"I'll believe you, Kittycat. Weiss! Truth or dare?" Yang shouts, looking at Weiss, although slightly off with her direction. Instead she adjusts her head when Weiss begins to speak so she is looking at Weiss directly.

"I suppose I will go with dare." Weiss rolls her eyes, waiting for whatever dare my sister thinks up.

"Well, since I can no longer see a thing . . . why not sit in my sister's lap for the rest of the game . . . and not complain at what she does." Yang smirks and gives a thumbs up to the door, although I assume it is meant for me. "By the way, I say that dare should last through the entire evening."

_Thank you Yang! You're the greatest sister in the whole wide world!_

"That means you need to keep the blindfold on too, you Brute!" Weiss answers, but Yang is more than happy to do so, especially with the slight discomfort in Weiss' voice.

"Perfectly fine. Now get on my sis's lap." Yang commands, and I smile as Weiss shimmies over onto my lap. She looks over her shoulder at me, then down at my hands while they wrap around her waist. I guess she is still thinking about what I did in the car, but Blake was looking away at the time. I'm not that brave . . . at least I don't think I am.

I am happy to have Weiss on my lap. Actually, elated is a better word. While she spins the bottle I begin to undo her French braid to let her hair down, combing my fingers through to make sure her beautiful, snow-white mane is let loose. Weiss relaxes more when she realizes I am just letting her hair down, and goes ahead to spin the bottle. I am too busy with her hair to know who it lands on, but soon enough she calls out a name.

"Blake Belladonna. Truth or dare?" She has an evil twist to her voice, making me wonder what my Princess could be planning.

"Truth. I rather not play into the trap of peer pressure." Blake answers, although Weiss seems to have expected that and already has a question at hand.

"What are the three biggest regrets in your life?" Weiss folds her arms. I peek around Weiss' shoulder to see Yang giving a death glare to Weiss.

_Why would Weiss even ask that!?_

"Not leaving the White Fang sooner, saying no to Yang so many times . . . and I suppose the last one would be . . . not being able to capture Torchwick in the shipyard." Blake reaches out and spins the bottle, leaving me a bit surprised at how well she answered the question. We all watch the bottle, waiting for it to stop spinning, but before it does, the room door is opened and Uncle Qrow is peeks in at us.

"Sorry to interrupt, girls. Your father and I have to run, unfortunately. Tai cooked up three burgers, and a breaded fish patty for Weiss. Lettuce and all that other stuff is out on the table. We won't be back till tomorrow." I watch as Uncle Qrow peeks behind him before entering the room and closing the door. "Weiss, Ruby. Personally, I can't find any better accommodations for you two to sleep, so I will hear, see, or speak of no evil should you two decide to share a bed. Yang . . . you are the second oldest here, but you are the oldest resident of this house, so you are in charge. I expect you to remember the talk we had, and will let sleeping dogs lie?"

"Yessir." Yang sighs, and satisfied with himself, Uncle Qrow walks out but comes back in a few seconds later. "Also, Angelika saw us and gave us the clothes you never picked up at the laundromat . . . do make sure you bring them up when you're done eating." Uncle Qrow grins and leaves the room. The last thing we hear is the front door closing and the loud, screeching peel out of the car, letting us know we are alone for the night.

"So, um . . . dinner?" I ask. Weiss and Blake being the two to stand up first. We all get a nice kick out of Blake carefully guiding Yang out of her room, and leaving my older sis behind to follow the walls and railings of the house to make her way to the kitchen while the three of us rush downstairs to get our food.

_I wonder what was so urgent. Uncle Qrow seemed a bit rushed . . ._


	59. Retirement's Not for Everyone:

**_O_**_kay, so I did this chapter with a bit of a twist in it. Hopefully you guys like the backstory it provides, and also have no problems following it._

_I for one like the chapter, and I hope you all feel the same way about it._

_As always, review, tell me what you think . . . and the ending sentence to me is a big 'Shit may go down later' sort of moment. :D Thanks!_

* * *

**_POV: UNCLE QROW_**

**_Chapter 59 – Retirement's not For Everyone:_**

**_The Sightings of a Rusty Qrow_**

"Alright, Qrow. I'm going to go grab the patties and buns." Tai says while getting out of the car, and I do the same.

"I'm going to go to the gym for a moment. Pick me up there."

"Qrow, I seriously doubt we have time here for a workout."

"It's not for a workout, Tai. I need to organize something." I say and turn around to walk a few blocks back to get to the gym since Tai parked right in front of the supermarket.

When I get inside I am not surprised to see Shun working against a heavy bag. She's the most hardworking person I have seen in Patch, and her effort shows it when she gets serious.

"Shun." I call out while I begin walking up to her. At the sight of my approach she smiles brightly, still sporting the orange outfit I got her, but is wearing her hair over her special eye, something I have disapproved of before.

"M-Mister Qrow!" She exclaims, stopping her workout to meet me halfway.

"Good to see you. How's the house and the groceries coming along?" On top of my question she lowers her head and lets out a soft sigh.

"I've been keeping my portions as low as possible. I paid the rent for this month, but my fridge is nearly empty. The next competition isn't for a month. At this rate I may need to try my luck in Vale."

"The Pit?"

"Yeah, unfortunately. I know you've helped me get a home, Mister Qrow . . . It's just that I can't find any competition here anymore, and if that's the case, then I may need to move to Vale, or possibly find a way to deal with airship expenses there and back constantly." She takes another deep breath. Apparently she has been thinking about this a while.

"I see. Well, I have a job for you, and here." I reach into my pocket, pulling out a tightly wrapped amount of lien I gathered before leaving the house with the idea of hiring Shun in mind.

She reaches out, taking the several cards, and going wide-eyed at the realization that it is mostly filled with large quantity cards. She quickly places it in her pocket and nods her head.

"A-Anything, Mister Qrow. What do you need?" Her eyes brighten, and her pupils narrow with eagerness for whatever task I have of her,

"I need you to train Ruby in the art of kickboxing."

"Is . . . Is that all? F-For all this? I can't take all this with just that being the task . . . honestly I thought you wanted me to go scout out a robbery or something . . ." She begins to ramble, I've never met someone quite as indirect as her before.

* * *

_**(3.5 years ago.)**_

While she was a student in Signal, she took any extra activities she could. Working at a small-time Dust Store after her track meets, and anything else she picked up. She always kept to herself, and to add on to that, I've seen her eating her food alone, usually outside. Now, that may not be too odd, but seeing her only eating half of whatever solid food was given, and storing the rest in a re-washed ziplock is anything but normal in my eyes.

After her sophomore year at signal, I decided to check out what it is she does over the summer. She worked at the dust shop from dawn to closing, then went for a jog to follow that I could not keep up on since I am trying to be discreet. Running as fast as she was is the last thing I should do to remain unnoticed, especially with how many faces already know me in Patch.

This pattern would continue each day with me waiting further and further down her jogging route until finally I managed to spot the end of her route. Deep down the road to another town, there is an old abandoned house. The windows have been boarded shut, and the only means of entry that I spot is the one she took: a hole within the slanted roof that leads straight into the attic. I left my investigation there for the day.

The following day I decided to go into her 'home' at dusk and observe the establishment. The attic was well kept, and on top of that it seems the door in the floorboard was sealed shut to isolate the attic from the rest of the house. I give a firm stomp to the floorboard and let out a loud sigh when I hear the growling of a Grim below. For however long she has been here . . . she's dealt with it also being the home to possibly multiple Grim.

_I'm getting her out of here._

I sit down in the corner of the room, as darkness becomes more apparent. After another hour I hear a few footsteps above me that go towards the hole. Seconds later I see Shun's silhouette entering the room, and I make myself known.

"Shun, it's Mister Qrow." At my voice she jumps and enters some poor brawler's stance. After registering my voice in her head she lowers her hands and looks at me through the darkness without any effort thanks to her night vision.

"Mister Qrow I- . . . I didn't think I would be having company . . . Umm, I didn't have time to fix the place up. I'm sorry."

"I see, well how about we go downstairs and have ourselves a drink?" I play dumb while walking towards the glued ladder.

"NO!" She covers her mouth after shouting, moving her hands away after she calms down. "I um . . . it's really messy down there."

"Because of the boarbatusk?" She freezes at my question and looks down to the floor.

"Mister Qrow, why are you here? I don't need to see you until the break is done. Please leave."

"Shun, where are your parents? I could report this to the PPD, but I'd rather avoid that."

It was then that I found out that Shun's parents left her for some reason at the start of her entry to Signal. She has no idea why, but one day she was left on her own with no idea what to do. Suddenly it all makes sense to me. The job from morning to evening to earn enough for food. The afterschool activities to get the complimentary snacks that Signal provides.

It was that day I bought a smalltime house in one of the cul-de-sacs in town and gave it to Shun with only one condition: I want her to learn any hand to hand fighting style. While she was at Signal she forged a weapon, and instantly at the sight of it I knew it wasn't anything she planned on using. She passed all her classes for the sake of it, and held no pride in her work.

* * *

Since then she has been fine, taking on Boxing, but eventually altering into teaching herself kickboxing to utilize her strong legs. She's become great friends with Brandon and the rest of the gym regulars, but nobody knows about her poor state aside from me.

Her meeting Yang, even the two going out for whatever time it was I was aware of, but some things are best left unspoken of.

"She needs to learn how to fight without Crescent Rose. I am giving you this much because I am bringing you with me to Atlas in a few days . . . and unfortunately we will be staying in the home of a prime Faunus hater. I wish you to keep your pride to yourself, and focus on training Ruby every day until she has to go back to school. You will start tomorrow, go to the house and tell her I sent you as part of her training." I explain, and at the mention of Atlas she grits her teeth and clenches her fists.

"We are going to Schnee Manor, aren't we?"

"Yes."

At my answer she snarls, turning around and delivering a sharp roundhouse to one of the closest heavy bags. Her kick makes the bag pop, and break it off from the support it is hanging from. Her kicks are a thing of beauty, and if she can teach Ruby how to deliver one, especially with Ruby's leg power from using it to start up her semblance . . . then she will be a force to be reckoned with.

"I can't make a promise, Mister Qrow." She sighs, looking at me with a torn stare.

"You can't afford not to, Shun." I state simply. It's something cold to say, but at the end of the day I know she is more than capable of holding her tongue when needed. "Besides, Ruby and the rest of her team are going."

"Wait, Blake, Yang, and the Schnee heiress?"

"Oh, so you've met them. I will tell you now that they will not tolerate any Faunus hate, especially since they have a Faunus on their team. Anyway, I need to get going. You may do your training at the house. Yang has focus mitts. I will leave it all up to you." I turn around and make my exit, but before I can leave she calls my name once more.

"Mister Qrow!"

"Yes? I ask while looking over my shoulder to see her walk up to me.

"Thank you. For everything." She smiles, one of her few most genuine smiles and I reach back to pat her head. She's a sweet girl, misjudged by her lack of social skills at times.

"No need to thank me. I gave you nothing. I made you take on a fighting style, and you have used it to sustain yourself. Now, you will be a trainer for my niece to sustain yourself. You are earning everything you are getting, make no mistake." I smile at her before I continue to walk and leave the gym, just in time for Tai to pull up and to get myself in the car without him having to stop for long.

"Did what you need?" He asks the moment I get inside.

"Yes. Were you able to get the food?"

"Of course." He grins, pointing to the back seat. When I look back I see two grocery bags and Zwei sitting in the middle of the two, acting as a guard dog for the food.

"Good, I will help you cook." I suggest.

"Nono, I got it. Just relax."

"Oh, but I insist Tai!"

"Qrow . . . no."

"And why not!?"

"Your cooking sucks."

"It does not!"

"It's inedible. Now stop your arguing."

"Weiss loved my eggs this morning, I will have you know!"

"She's a proper girl, and most likely far too polite and wanting to make a good impression on the two of us. I bet you she made an excuse to not eat them."

"She . . . said she's a vegan."

"She's a selective vegetarian, Qrow. Now give up."

Our argument continues for the entire ride, with me eventually submitting Tai and deciding to take a nap once we get inside, and to leave the girls alone with whatever they are doing since I worked them several times over with training today.

As I walk inside and sit down on the couch with Zwei sitting on my lap, I lay back and get startled by Tai dropping a large laundry bag on his recliner.

"What the hell is this!?" I ask, looking at the large bag.

"Angelika was kind enough to see the car come into town and waited outside the supermarket with this bag . . . all of Yang's clothes."

"She's definitely your daughter to forget that." I lay back, surprised to not get a smart comeback from Tai who disappears into the kitchen, leaving me to fall asleep and recall several events from the past that decide to sneak up on me now for some reason.

* * *

"Oz, I found him. He's entering From Dust 'Till Dawn. I need to get in there now." I whisper into a microphone held over my ear.

"_I'll send Glynda over. Why do you need to go in there? You know I only asked for your help with reconnaissance_." Ozpin's voice in my ear is faint and calm. I don't know how he's always been like that, but it's good to know someone that can be as relaxed as Tai on a normal basis.

"My niece is in there. She came to Vale to get some music. Patch has some shitty stores." I admit, not being able to find much of my own music collection on the small island.

"_If she's as efficient as you claim she is, then this will be the perfect test. If she can hold out, then I will be more than happy to welcome her to Beacon. Don't you already have a niece coming here?"_

"I do." I answer, gritting my teeth as I stare down the store after Torchwick and five men enter. "This one is also one of Tai's. Different mother."

"_I see, for now take a look around. He's evaded the VPD because he is smart. I want to know how smart."_

I stand up from my perch at the corner of the building. For now I need to believe that Ruby's training will be plenty for her. I turn around and begin traversing the rooftop, within a large alleyway below I spot something that could prove to be of value.

"Hey, Oz?"

_"Yes, Qrow?"_

"Would you consider an airship to be something to look around for? 'Cause that's all I got."

"_Perfect. Get to a good spot to watch over your niece and switch over to channel B. Keep your microphone muted."_

Out of stupidity I nod my head, forgetting that I am talking over a microphone. I reach up to the device, flicking a small switch that changes the frequency from one channel to the next. At the same time I press a small button above the switch that mutes my microphone. With the quick job done I take a running start to hop from the rooftop I am currently at, over to one of the buildings across the street and adjacent to the dust shop.

"Ruby, if you get yourself hurt I will strip Crescent Rose for scrap metal." I sigh, making my way directly over the building and taking a seat to watch directly below me for whatever events may transpire. After minute or two more I hear the sounds of shattering glass, and looking down I can see someone in a dark suit and red tie flying out a shattered window, along with my favorite caped crusader practically riding the poor man after connecting with what I assume to be a dropkick.

_Alright, niece. Let's see if you're capable of dealing with a few deadbeats._

I smile, seeing her open her Crescent Rose in such a confident manner, although I take note of her fancy twirling of the weapon, which ultimately hides the fact that she just removed the headphones from around her neck and slid them into her back pocket.

_Ruby . . . if you don't beat these men, I will kill you myself for losing AND being a thief._

Soon enough she is joined by three other of Torchwick's men, and just like I taught her she takes down two with ease, although she alters her swing to use the blunt side of the scythe rather than the blade, which I admire even more. My niece is no killer, she is an aspiring huntress, and no short of a genius in combat, aside from her overconfidence.

I inch forward on the rooftop when I see one of them draw a gun. I am ready to drop down, although with her quick sidestep and closing in distance, I realize she is beyond capable for now. Shortly after she is done with the three I watch as the well-dressed crime leader steps into view.

"Well, Red. I think we can all say it has been an eventful evening." He speaks up, dropping something onto the ground before crushing it with his cane. "And as much as I'd love to stick around . . . this . . ." He lifts his cane up, aiming it at Ruby. As what appears to be a sight, pops up from the bottom of the cane, I realize that must be his weapon. ". . . Is where we part ways."

_Shit, Ruby! Get out of there!_

The moment he shoots at my niece he takes off across the street to the left and begins climbing a ladder – straight to a rooftop I was just observing from earlier. Thankfully Ruby made little work of dodging the explosive shot, but is now looking lost. After a moment she spots him climbing the ladder and follows him with little needed effort.

_"Ozpin, I can see the thief from here." _The sound of Glynda Goodwitch fills my ear. It seems Oz wants me to listen in on the conversation using the other channel he designated for me.

_"Good, you think you can capture him?"_

_"Think? I'd prefer you not insult my capabilities, Ozpin."_

_"My apologies." _He chuckles after the minor argument. My attention is still more focused on Ruby who is chasing down Torchwick, however as expected, an airship rises from the alleyway, giving him time to hop in. I watch closely to an object he casually disposes of that lands at Ruby's feet. A trained inspection from this distance makes me think it is a mere gem, but the fact that he just robbed a Dust store brings me to the conclusion that he just threw a sharply cut, red crystal, and his extended cane-gun reinforces my point.

_Don't look at it like an idiot, Ruby!_

_"I'm here, Ozpin. Seems like we have civilian interference. Dropping in."_

Just as the shot is released, I can see the tall, blonde form of Glynda drop in front of the blast. With the debris clearing I let out a relieved sigh to see the entire explosion was blocked effortlessly. The following battle is between her, and a woman whose face I cannot make out from within the shadow of the airship. The battle ending with the mystery woman cancelling out Glynda's last attack and getting the airship to evacuate.

Suddenly I can hear the excited voice of my niece in my ear, making me realize that Glynda's device is not muted, but is most definitely resistant to background noise

_"You're a huntress . . . Can I have your autograph!?" _I begin to laugh at my niece's abandonment of the serious situation at the mere presence of a Huntress.

_"Bring her in, Glynda. I wish to meet her."_ I smile, hearing Ozpin keep his promise, although the long, well thought out scolding that Glynda is giving Ruby all the way back to Ozpin's office, while also filling in Ozpin on Torchwick's escape. I feel bad that she has to deal with the uptight Huntress, although I forgive Glynda for scolding my niece . . . more because of the fact I was treated to the lovely, and graceful movements she showed during her battle. Always did have a soft spot for blonde hair and green eyes. Don't know why.

"Thank you for keeping your end, Oz . . . Ruby's suited for Beacon. You won't regret it." I say to myself. I take off the earpiece and turn it off, deciding I will check in on the private channel when I am back in my car which is more than a few blocks away.

_At least you two will stay together. Makes things a lot easier. Sheesh, when Ruby gets home she will be blabbering on and on how she met a huntress, and is now getting ready to go to Beacon . . . I need to call Tai and warn him._

**_(Several weeks later)_**

_There's been far too much activity over here. I don't like it one bit. Word from the docks has been that there will be a large dust shipment coming in . . . if that's the case, then I may be lucky enough to see Torch again._

I lay low on a rooftop across from the active shipyard. A shipyard that shouldn't be this active to begin with, especially with the now incoming airship. I watch as several personal exit, leaving me cursing underneath my breath as I recognize the unmistakable insignia on the back of the uniforms through my binoculars

_The White Fang? This is much worse than I thought . . . Wait, who's that? _

I watch as one more person exits the airship, dressed differently from the rest of them. As the person steps off the airship I curse again, seeing it is Torchwick. He's been active on several, small time operations, meaning he is not the mastermind behind all of this, considering the brains behind it all would stay away from all the dirty work. The next logical explanation is that woman from several weeks ago who proved to be an even match with Glynda. I haven't seen or caught wind of her since that day. She's disappeared from existence, and that is the perfect example of the brains behind an operation making a proper disappearing act. Oz and I have discussed a few times the possible involvements with everything, but seeing as it all draws back to her being our main lead, it can't hurt to let him know now. If I am wrong about her being the leader, then so is he.

My thought process of what to do now is interrupted when I see a small figure hop down from a nearby building and begin making their way towards the airship. After looking up at the spot where they descended from, I see there is one more person still prone and watching the advance.

_Who are they? VPD? Hunters? Is James already involved? Damnit!_

I find the best option is to sit back and let the events unfold . . . they are already far beyond my grasp anyway. I watch as the initial person sneaks up behind Torchwick and appears to have him in a tight situation. Through my binoculars I watch as the person reaches over to something sitting on top of their head and tugs it off. The material that blows away with the wind leaves me to believe it is a ribbon of some kind. I only have a look at the back of said persons head, but it is apparent that whoever it is, is clearly a Faunus of some kind. If my assumption could be passed off as wrong, then the faint, echoing words I hear from said person clears up any doubt, as long as revealing that the person is female.

"Brothers of the White Fang! Why are you aiding this scum!?"

Unfortunately, her voice goes lower after her initial question. Things only go from bad to worse. Torchwick somehow sets off a blast that gets him free from the blade to his neck. The following series of events is anything but organized, or pretty. Two people are down there, battling with Torchwick and the White Fang. A smart shot from Torchwick separates the two fighters, but before the finishing shot can be established, a loud, squeaky . . . and very familiar yell is heard off in the distance.

"Hey!"

I turn my gaze towards the echoing voice, hoping I am wrong about who I believe the voice to be. I am disappointed to know I am right, and it is my cape-wearing niece who yet again is getting involved with Roman Torchwick. To add to the mix, she is accompanied by Penny: Ironwood's most recent creation. I am sure he didn't think of creating a life-like android on his own, but from my recent exchange in messages with him, and the accompanying image, it is safe to say that Penny as she is called, may very well be an unstoppable machine.

I watch as my niece makes the biggest mistake of looking away from Torchwick and is subjected to an indirect blast from his weapon. Following the shot I watch Penny step up, and the events in sequence leave me astonished. One girl taking on countless members of the White Fang, leaving bodies scattered along the ground. What colors me more impressed is the light show that is put on not soon after, disposing of two airships with ease, and having one more yanked down into some of the cargo shipments. Unfortunately Torchwick gets away, with two airships, but I suppose having his operation ruined in such a flashy manner is its own victory.

I make little time in getting down from the rooftop to my car, glad to see that none of the laser lights, or flying debris got to it. While I sit inside I reach for the glove compartment and pull out my scroll, sending a message out to Qrow and Ironwood.

"**_Queen has pawns_**_"_

_That should do it . . . Ruby, I hope you are learning plenty at Beacon . . . we may need it soon._

* * *

I am woken up by my scroll buzzing up a storm. I look forward to the living room TV, then to my right at the recliner with Yang's laundry on it. Tai and I got back from the town not long ago, and he insisted on cooking dinner by himself despite me offering my assistance several times over.

I reach into the pocket of my leather jacket to find my scroll and look at it while Ozpin's voice plays in a recorded message.

"Torchwick's been spotted in Mountain Glen. He's headed towards Vale through an underground subway system. Doctor Oobleck is working with Team CFVY, but there has been several injuries. According to Oobleck's last message, there are Grimm entering the subway system and following the train to Vale. Peter Port is on a mission with one of the other teams, and Glynda will not be of much value by herself. I already have an airship on the way to the island at the usual pickup point. I trust you won't delay. Thousands of lives could be at stake."

My eyes shoot open and I immediately jump up to go to the kitchen, but Tai is already standing in the doorway, stopping me.

"I got the same message, Qrow. Tell the kids that dinner is ready: 3 burgers and a breaded fish patty. Keep it calm and relaxed." He tells me and walks out the front door to the car.

_Ready as always, Tai. You're not rusty at all._

I smile and begin heading upstairs. I hear a commotion coming from Yang's bedroom, and when I open the door I am fortunate enough to see that all four of them are there with . . . a bottle and several boxes of cookies . . . I rather not ask.

"Sorry to interrupt, girls. Your father and I have to run, unfortunately. Tai cooked up three burgers, and a breaded fish patty for Weiss. Lettuce and all that other stuff is out on the table. We won't be back till tomorrow." I look over my shoulder to make sure Tai is not nearby. We won't be back until the late afternoon, so I suppose with us gone it may be a good time to give a discreet warning to the four of them that they are pretty much free to do whatever, and to Yang about maintaining her distance from Ruby and Weiss' relationship. "Weiss, Ruby. Personally, I can't find any better accommodations for you two to sleep, so I will hear, see, or speak of no evil should you two decide to share a bed. Yang . . . you are the second oldest here, but you are the oldest resident of this house, so you are in charge. I expect you to remember the talk we had, and will let sleeping dogs lie?"

"Yessir." She responds, and I smile. I look over at Blake, giving her a brief nod of my head while I exit, but just then I remember that I brought in Yang's laundry that she completely forgot about.

"Also, Angelika saw us and gave us the clothes you never picked up at the laundromat . . . do make sure you bring them up when you're done eating." I say while peeking into the room again. I pass another look at Blake, though this time she doesn't notice it. Something about the angle I see her in now brings me back to my dream, but I am not sure why. The black and white outfit, the Faunus ears, and the ribbon that for some reason is now over Yang's eyes . . .

I close the door and rush myself downstairs. Zwei meeting me at the door and following to the car. Both of us hop in, and Tai wastes no time in taking off for the nearest edge of town where the airship will be waiting for us.

"Well, I have a tiny bit of good news that comes out of all of this." I say, trying to start conversation since he is always the quiet, serious one between us.

"And what would that be, Qrow?" Tai looks at me briefly, but keeps his focus on the road, especially at the speed he is going.

"I finally know where our resident Faunus got all her combat experience from."


	60. Making Progress

**_O_**kay, there are a few things I need to cover in this Author's Note, so please bare with me, guys!

I'm going back to College tomorrow, meaning I have less time to commit to this story, and that can mean either things, which I will leave up to you guys to decide in a review (along with an actual review of the chapter I hope :P)

Option 1: I go back to making my chapter lengths about 2.5k words. Think of the length of these chapters like my first 10 chapters (Aside from chapter 1 which was 1.5k) Doing this will make it easier for me to make daily uploads, but at the cost of less content per chapter (although you guys and gals should know I will always do my best to keep the quality high) - For referencing purposes, this chapter is 3k words without the Author's Note included in the word count.

Option 2: You guys want me to keep typing at random lengths like I have been doing, meaning I could have 3k, 5k, or 7k word chapters, which I have been very capable of doing since most of my recent chapters have been above 4k, although I do not always guarantee to exceed that amount. I put in what I feel fits in the chapter, then add more details to it.

Option 3 (Does not overrule options 1 or 2, this is just a possible add on to either of the two): I could also start that Neo x Cinder break off story of how they met. If you don't know what I mean, I mentioned somewhere in one of the chapters in the 30s that I could make a separate story of how my AU Cinder and Neo met several years ago, and I could make that in a first person POV, like I have done with this story, and either make those chapters part of this story, or a separate story in itself.

Again, I am just laying all of this out because I love writing these chapters for you guys . . . I feel like I'm the writing version of a Youtuber xD I love seeing when I get views, and seeing people support what I write. It's a great feeling!

So, that aside, I just want to thank all of you that have been reading thus far, and would also like you guys to answer one more thing, and I will explain why I am asking.

Should this series survive that long, should I keep it going even when Season 3 of RWBY comes out? Since most of the things in Season 3 will most likely destroy the AU world I've built here and just make it seem so awful.

Anyway, that's all I have for now. Sorry for the super long Author's note, I probably should have made this a separate chapter or something. Thanks for reading!

* * *

**_POV: BLAKE BELLADONNA_**

**_Chapter 60 – Making Progress_**

"Blaaaaaake~ Come on, I can't see a thing. Can I get some milk?"

"You'll get some when we're both done eating, Yang." I roll my eyes as my girlfriend starts to call my name out in a childish whine similar to Ruby.

Yang finally got downstairs and into the kitchen, but to take advantage of the promise I made her prior to leaving for town, she now has me seated on her lap. The sight was something Ruby and Weiss did not desire to see, and the two moved to somewhere else in the house. My guess being the living room. I wiggle a bit in Yang's lap to stay comfortable while I chomp down on the juicy burger.

To be honest, I wanted the fish . . . but after a short argument from Weiss, it became apparent that the fish was for her since she doesn't eat beef. I felt my soul leave my body as the cooked aquatic meat left my reach.

"These are good." Yang speaks up while biting down into hers again. I began eating way before her (and I am almost done) but in a few bites she is already done with hers. She has the eating habits of a barbarian for sure . . . thank you Weiss for always being correct with that comparison.

"Yes, they are." I respond, taking the final bite from mine. I start to slide off of her lap, but her free arm catches me in a tight grip to pull me back while she is still eating. If you were to put me in some sort of mid-evil dress, and put a horned helmet on Yang, this would be the perfect image of how a barbarian would eat their food: Food in one arm, and an annoyed girl in the other.

"Yang . . . Can I get some water?" I ask looking down to the mass of blonde hair before she turns her head to look at me and show her blindfolded face.

"Can I get milk?" She asks in return.

"I'll think about it. The longer I am in your lap, the closer the answer gets to 'No'." I am released instantly and I walk over to the fridge to find that the bottom drawer is not surprisingly stuffed with Yang's Monster Energy drinks. I sigh, taking two out, figuring I should at least try it since it could possibly make me feel less drained from the earlier training. "Come on, Yang. I'm going upstairs."

"What!? But my milk!"

"I have it in my hand . . . find your way upstairs to get it." I smile as she quickly stands up and begins walking to the door from memory. While I walk down the hallway and make a right to climb the stairs, I peek into the living room to catch sight of Ruby and Weiss' feet which are hanging over the leg of the couch.

_Another make out session? You two are abusing Yang's blindfold, huh? Don't blame you._

I see Yang is making easy work at finding the stairs, using the wall to mark her path until she finds the handrail and begins to trail me up the stairs to her room. I expected to enjoy watching her struggle, but the fact that this is her house sort of makes sense that she is having little trouble since she lived here.

I go into her room, placing the two cans on a nearby dresser before hopping onto her bed and commandeering the entire mattress by laying myself comfortably across it all. Yang comes in seconds later, closing her door and goes to sit on my new bed, but I make sure she knows she is about three seconds from crushing my stomach and getting her room taken over.

"If you sit down on me I will kill you." I say, forcing her to pause.

"Well I can't see! How am I supposed to know that you're on my bed if you don't say a thing? Where can I sit?"

"…The floor."

"Fine, but then you're sitting on my lap!" She exclaims, still abusing our deal.

"Damnit . . . Fine, you can sit on the bed, let me roll over." I twist my body to roll myself towards the wall, giving Yang the clear to sit down while I work myself to get off of the bed and make my way to the dresser to get one of the Monster cans I brought up with me.

"Blake? Where did you go?" I hear Yang complain and look around the room. She can't see, though I suppose the motion is natural to do when you are in search of someone, despite it being useless with a blindfold on.

"I'm right here, Yang." I say while holding the can to my shirt to muffle sound of it crackling open when I pull the tab. "Just getting your cup of milk"

_It's not milk . . . but I'm sure she'll love this even more._

"Oh, okay." She smiles, sitting patiently in the bed.

I bring the can to my lips and take a sip, the crease of the can making me drink with a slight slurping noise that causes me to wince. The drink feels slightly dry going down my throat, then has a shiver inducing kick to it that makes me shiver and go wide-eyed.

_Not bad, actually._

I look around the room, knowing with how messy and disorganized Yang can be, that she must have an empty cup somewhere. Fortunately she does on the other side of the room. I walk over to grab it, and carry the empty cup to her, looking to repeat something I've done to her a while back.

"Here, Yang." I touch the cup to her shoulder so she knows where to reach. She takes the cup from me, wiggling it in her hand to establish that it is empty, then tilt it over her lips to confirm her suspicions of the empty cup.

"Really, Blake?" She sighs, tossing the cup randomly across the room until the little plastic container bounces off the ground with a unique sound. While she is complaining I take a large chug of the drink without swallowing and place the can down on the ground where it won't be kicked. "I know you love milk, but you can't even give me a bit?"

I place my hands down on the bed on each side of her legs, letting me lean over and press my lips to hers without much of a battle for entry. Her first taste of her favorite energy drink is makes her grasp my hips and tug me onto her while she falls back onto the bed. I keep my lips just barely parted, blushing as her aggression takes hold of her and she makes short work of forcing my lips apart with her tongue. The wandering wet muscle makes me gasp and squirm on top of her, even send a shiver down my spine at the complete change in attitude she has. Finally she lets me pull back for a breath of hair after she is certain she took all of the energy drink I had to offer.

"Tastes better coming from you." She murmurs prior to trailing her tongue along my lips and cleaning whatever residue of the drink is left. I can't believe the stuff is like catnip for Yang, and hopefully she won't ever plan to use catnip on me . . . I will kill her . . . several times over . . . slowly.

"Makes me wonder if you'd rather chug down the two cans I brought up, or just lay with me." I tease, looking down at her while her adorable lilac eyes lock onto mine. I can feel her hands traverse from my hips, up to my back in a more modest embrace. After what happened this morning I would expect Yang to be a bit braver, but I guess I can't rush things too much.

"Okay, can we strike a deal with that?" She asks, giving me a grin.

"Shoot."

"We each get a can, and we get a shower together." Yang's smirk turns into a smile, and I recall this morning that she did mention we should just shower together to 'make things fairer' if I recall what she said word for word. After sparring with Shun, and being exploded by Yang . . . on top of the workout with Qrow, I think a shower would be ideal.

"I think that would help, but I get the closed can." I slide myself off of Yang, picking up the opened can from the floor and handing it to her while I get the other can from her dresser and sit myself next to her before opening it.

"Since when do you drink this stuff?" She asks me.

"Since five minutes ago." I answer, hearing the hissing of the can followed by a loud crackling sound when it snaps open. I look inside the can to see the bubbling of the caramel-tinted liquid before bringing it to my lips and letting it flow into my mouth by tilting the can instead of repeating the loud slurping sound I made earlier.

"Well, at least we have one more thing in common." She whispers and scoots next to me. I feel her warm hand reach around to my shoulder and pulls me against her. "And this time it is one of my things that rubbed off on you!"

"Yes, while I still don't appreciate you reading my romance novels without my permission. I said you could read the first one . . ."

"Oh come on! I finished it a while back, and wanted to go to the second. Can't blame me, especially since you are obsessed with those things yourself." Unfortunately, I can't find a flaw in her argument this time. Although, I find a method of punishing her for having a winning argument and lean over to sip from her can which she quickly pulls away. "Hey! That's mine!"

"And if you want it to stay yours you will not argue with me." I look up at her with a smile, and her unamused stare turns into a smile while she plants a kiss on my lips quickly.

"You keep this up and I'm going to think you're a different Blake."

"Keep me a virgin and I'll think you're a different Yang." I blush at how that slipped out, and I can feel Yang push me up while she coughs and chokes on her drink. I reach over and pat her back with my right hand while I continue to drink from the can held in my left.

"Damnit, went down the wrong pipe." She says, then starts to cough a little again. I stay quiet the entire time, hoping her near-death experience with her favorite drink leaves my comment completely forgotten about, although my reddened cheeks may remind her.

"You'll survive. I won't let my heater die that easily . . . Cold season isn't over yet." I peek over to her, still slightly concerned from her coughing fit. The look I get in return is of strict annoyance with her also reaching out to pull me back to her.

"There isn't another reason you miss me?" She asks, stopping any response I can give by nipping the very tip of my ear. My body stiffens and I remain frozen in place. She sees my body begin to go unresponsive and takes the can from my left hand before I drop it.

"Okay, okay . . . I would have missed your hair." I admit, but she gives a soft tug that makes me gasp and squirm until I answer again "A-Ah~ A-And your abs!"

"And don't you forget it." She pulls away in triumph, and begins taking off her blindfold while she stands.

"Hey! Blindfold stays on!" I shout at her, and with a reluctant groan she leaves the ribbon I use for my bow over her eyes.

"Come on, but we're taking a shower! Don't want it getting wet."

"Nice try, it's waterproof. Start walking, Miss Xiao Long." I stand up, following her as she walks with both cans in her hands into the bathroom. I look down the hallway to make sure Ruby or Weiss do not see Yang and I entering the bathroom together since it would possibly scar the two to never want to step inside this bathroom again, although with how Yang has been towards me, I doubt anything of that variety will happen.

I make sure to lock the door behind me, and turn around to the not surprising sight of Yang making sure she finishes her can while handing me mine to finish. I hop onto the side of the sink while I finish drinking, and leave the can there to be taken out after our shower.

"Blake? Where are you?" I decide to stay silent, and instead quickly take off my top while remaining seated on the side of the sink bowl. "Ugh . . . I knew she was messing with me."

I smile to myself, watching Yang take off her blindfold to the sight of me without my top, and an unclasped bra just barely covering my chest. The redness on her face and the startling jump she does is no less than priceless to me.

"Yeah, yeah. Stop gawking and start running the water." I would normally be a bit bashful to Yang seeing me like this, but for some reason I can't help but be happy to her reaction. Either her confidence is rubbing off on me, or I've become far too comfortable with Yang. Perhaps both?

"I didn't think you were serious." Yang whispers while kneeling at the side of the tub and reaching in to start running the water. She keeps her hand underneath it, waiting for it to reach a temperature she finds decent and switches it to the shower head.

_I was thinking more of a cuddle-bath . . . but okay._

"Water's fine?" I ask her, and she peeks over her shoulder and nods her head, still sporting a large blush.

_Seriously, Yang? I'm practically throwing myself at you . . . are you that dense?_

I hop down from the sink, slightly disappointed at Yang's self-control (Which I usually am . . . but because she lacks it, not has too much of it!). I take the time ot walk over to her, still holding my bra to my chest while I kneel behind her. It is then that I press myself to her back and wrap my arms around her waist, feeling the shivers that erupt through her body thanks to my contact.

"Blake . . . It's been getting harder and harder to keep myself in line." She murmurs.

_. . . You truly are an idiot, Yang. But . . . you're my idiot._

"Yang, would I be here right now if I wanted you to stay 'in line'?" I ask, hoping she gets the point I am trying to make. At my question she quickly turns around. The swift motion not letting me retract my arm in time to hold my bra that was sandwiched in place between my chest and her back, and is now fallen to the tiled floor below. It doesn't matter much that my chest is exposed because her eyes are glued to mine.

"Blake, I want it to happen out of love . . . not out of lust." Her words hit me like a brick to think she would say something that I consider extremely romantic considering who it is saying such a thing.

"Are you saying you only want my body? Not my personality? Or my hobbies?" I tease, but she gets extremely defensive at my words.

"Of course I don't just want you for your body! Everything about you is great. I jus-" I sigh, placing a finger to her lips.

"Yang, nothing you have done to, or with me has been out of lust. I doubt that now would be the time you would revert back to your 'lusting' habits. If you want to have a more relaxing show . . . then you can change it into a bath, although laying underneath falling water is just as enjoyable, I will admit." I stand up and go back to stripping myself, although with my back towards Yang while I take off my shorts, my stockings, and finally my panties, leaving the three articles of clothing in a ring around my ankles while I step out of them. I peek over my shoulder to see Yang staring at my ass for what seems like the first time, and also brings out the word 'finally!' into my mind.

"While it's sweet of you to stare . . . how about you hop in." I comment, and immediately Yang averts her eyes and stands up to undress herself. While she is doing that I pass by her and step into the shower to break the minor awkwardness of standing in the bathroom naked with her just a few feet away.

I begin treating Yang somewhat like eye candy while I watch her strip off her jacket and top, admiring the toned back and curvaceous hips. She looks at me, seeing my peeking and turns her undressing into a striptease.

_You evil little . . ._

I watch her sway her hips enticing me to reach out and smack her ass with a soaked palm. Her thumbs take their time with sliding into opposite sides of her short shorts and tugging them down to show off the pair of boyshorts I least expected her to be wearing today of all days. The entire wording on them reads '_TREAT ME RIGHT' _in a white text, but some lettering in the center is in yellow. Reading only that lettering changes the phrase to just _'EAT ME' _a phrase that when read now of all times makes me want to do just that, although it is now that I realize . . . I've never actually seen Yang naked. Her back is towards me still, and she strips off her boyshorts by pulling them down and squatting, hiding her gender from me by doing this as opposed to bending over.

"Ummm . . . Blake?" She whispers, peeking over her shoulder while standing up, a bit of nervousness in her voice.

"Yes, Yang?" I answer, smiling into her beautiful eyes.

"I'm um . . . not exactly hairless like you are." She whispers.

_How could someone that could act as cute as you have been known as such a flirt and heart breaker? I'm starting to think I'm the luckier one in this relationship._


	61. Romancing The Stone

**_I_**_ feel like I caught a real 'Weiss mentality' in this chapter. Let me know what you think._

* * *

**_POV: WEISS SCHNEE_**

**_Chapter 61 – Romancing The Stone_**

"Ooo, I smell fish." I hear Blake announce when she walks into the kitchen, although I already claimed the burger she is hinting that she wants.

"Sorry, Blake. That one was meant for me." I gesture to the sandwich that is in front of me while I sit at the round table in the kitchen to eat, with Ruby next to me.

"I don't see the logic in that. I'm a cat Faunus . . . I'm sure it was made with that in mind." She debates, but keeps her calm and respectful tone.

"Yes, but I am a Pesco-Vegetarian, meaning I don't eat any of the other three burgers. If there were only three there I would have happily assumed he didn't make me one because of that, and made a salad, but with four on the table this one is surely meant for me." Blake sighs and nods her head. My argument is flawless as usual.

Several seconds later Yang arrives into the kitchen and carefully works her way to the table to sit at the opposite side of Ruby and I. Blake is considerate enough to get Yang's sandwich and pull a chair up to sit next to Yang, but the brawler makes it known that she wants Blake on her lap, and the sighing Faunus does so, but with a smile on her face.

"Even during dinner, Yang? I hardly find this courteous to your sister and future sister-in-law." Blake comments. The result is Yang and I sharing a choking fit, Ruby patting my back to help me, and Blake snickering from it all while Yang chokes on her carnivorous meal.

"That is highly inappropriate, Blake!" I shout, then look to Ruby who is looking down with red cheeks and a smile on her face.

"Ruby Rose! You are not buying into that are you!?" I switch to scolding her now, which events in more snickers from Blake while Yang works on recovering.

"S-Sorry!" Ruby responds, looking at me with her adorable puppy eyes, but I reach behind her head and tug her hood over her eyes while I use my other hand to continue eating.

"Nice try. Your sister is already blindfolded, don't make me find a permanent one for you, Dolt." I sigh, Ruby not fighting to take the hood off of her head, and instead quietly eats her burger with the same smile on her face. "Why are you smiling!?"

"Clearly she enjoys the thought of the name 'Weiss Rose'. It does have a lovely ring to it." Blake says, making me glare daggers at her. I am sure she is simply mad that I took the fish burger she wanted.

"Actually, I was thinking Ruby Schnee." Ruby answers after chewing her food.

"Stay out of this!" I yell at her, not much amused at the unfolding situation "I'm going to eat in the living room. I am not much into seeing you sitting on your significant other's lap."

"To think Blake got under your skin easier than I can . . . I need to start taking notes." Yang comments, not helping my mood at all.

I stand and take my food out of the kitchen before Blake could continue her teasing. It is not long until I hear Ruby's footsteps follow. I take a seat at the couch, and as discreetly as she enters the room, she sits next to me with her food almost done.

"I'm sorry." She whispers, laying her head on my shoulder.

"Why are you sorry?" I ask her before taking another small bite of my food. I have no idea how Ruby and Yang could just take such huge chunks out. It's impossible to picture how hard it must be on their digestive systems. Ruby keeps her head on me while working to finish the rest of her food. She's being proper enough to not talk with food in her mouth, something I have stressed with her many times, making it clear to her that I will not rush her when I know she is eating. When she is done chewing she leans up and plants a quick kiss on my cheek.

"The Ruby Schnee comment I made . . . Didn't mean to add to the discomfort." While she speaks I take small nips at my food, taking my time with consuming it. When I am done with chewing and swallowing I turn my head to her.

"It's fine. I am just not looking forward to my father meeting you, Blake, or Yang. It will most likely be a very poor experience." I return to eating my food in silence. My words seemed to have cut deeper into Ruby than I intended. When I finish Ruby grabs my plate from me along with hers and goes to bring them to the kitchen, although as she passes by the arm of the chair I grasp her hand. "I'm not mad. Just nervous, alright?"

She nods her head, which is the equivalent to telling me she is not fine. Ruby is talkative, no matter what the situation is, and if she can't even utter an answer, then she is either too scared to, or too depressed to. She has the plates in her right hand, which is also the closer hand to me, but I have a hold on her left. I shift myself to lay my legs at the arm of the chair, using my change in position to pull Ruby towards me. My little crimsoness falls on top of me, pulling her left hand free to plant her palm firmly next to my head to avoid sandwiching me in, and takes the priority to put the two plates on the floor.

"I understand, Weiss. I joined in under poor taste. I was joking of course. I want to be with you forever, but I'm not going to go thinking of marriage when we've only been going out for less than two months." The look in her eyes tells me she is saying the truth, and I can't help but feel happy, and also saddened at how much she has matured since we first met. Despite how annoying she can be, and usually is, I have gotten used to it and can't argue that it is not one of her most charming qualities.

"Good, but on that same note, I find it odd that we are in such a position and you haven't kissed me yet." Another one of my hints for a welcomed advance. It is somewhat a bashful act to simply hint to Ruby to make an advance, as opposed to making my own advance, but I am still somewhat new to the act of flirting. To be honest, I am very poor at leading a situation like this. While I enjoy the intimate activities Ruby and I commence in, there is still a lack of experience on my part despite me being the older one.

Although, that brings forth how Ruby knows how to enjoy herself in such a manner, but I will leave that to her possible thoughts of intimate behavior, and spotting lip-locks and body caresses going on in public throughout her life, which is something I was not subjected to thanks to my parents shielding me from the outer world of the 'commoner'.

"Well maybe I just enjoy looking into your eyes, silly." Ruby responds. Our eyes have been locked onto each other's the entire time, and it has taken me now to realize that. The beautiful, pale gaze her eyes emanate are a thing of beauty that shine in any lighting. The adorable shape and complexion of her puffy cheeks that I love to caress and hold while our lips would entwine draw my attention towards them, although me trying to look at her adorable cheeks brings me to something even more heart-pounding when I think of it.

Her small, delicate lips.

The lips that speak such idiocies, and poorly worded phrases that have made me shake my head in both pity and disgust at the same time. The lips that could continue their motion for hours on end leaving my ears praying for the never ending word barrage to stop. Yet, those are the lips that make my heart shimmer when they move and grace me with her sweet, childish, and melodic speaking. A tone I once found to be a pain to listen to now bringing me into a relaxing state that I never wish to wander from.

My next observance is her lovely, brunette hair.

The once red tips now dyed a color that matches the weather of my favorite season. Her hair is messy, but in a way that makes it radiate a touch of Ruby Rose to it. Above her left eyebrow her hair reveals a part in her bangs, that lets it majorly part to the right, and almost cover her right eye, but never quite reaching. Her hair majorly covers her right cheek, and leaves her left cheek far more exposed to my eyes, and my touch.

While I observe the always present qualities of her face, I fail to realize my breathing has been quickening the entire time. My lips are now parted, increasing in their part during my inhale, and shrinking during my exhale. The entire time Ruby has been observing me through my eyes, tracing where I have been looking, and possibly gauging my increased breathing. The entire time she has remained quiet, although now I see her lips part in a perfect, circular shape, resulting in somewhat of a clueless, or unsure facial expression.

We have been like this for an unaccounted for amount of time, and while I love to lay in silence with her, I feel an odd, untended to urge to kiss her. As I mentioned earlier, I am surely not one that is capable of leading an intimate moment, but looking into her eyes changes my own thinking and for once I believe that I can make Ruby's heart pound and flutter in the same manner she is capable of doing to me.

I extend my right hand out, touching her exposed left cheek as I usually do when we are already engaged in one of our more passionate kisses. It is odd to do so with the intent in mind to be the one to start, but when I think back to all of our 'moments' together, I realize it has always been Ruby begin without hesitation, aside from watching my gestures to see if she is pressing into something I am not too keen on partaking in.

My thoughts of our past events aside, I focus on the relaxed, unmoving leader above me. She hasn't moved since my hand was placed on her cheek, but the softened glare of her grey eyes leads me into an urge to produce a result she is desperately waiting for. For one reason or another, my eyes shift away from her sweet face to see her shaking left arm. It is a mildly awkward position that doesn't allow her to hold her weight up properly, and because of that the clear struggle to not collapse on top of me is apparent.

To correct the problem I slide my left arm around the small of her back, tugging her down to me until her stomach touches mine, and her upper body follows. She is careful with lowering herself, doing well to avoid losing her hand placement. As her breasts lower down to and brush over mine, she shifts from having her palm being what holds her up, to being able to place her forearms down and grants her a sturdier way of holding her weight off of me, although I do not mind it in the slightest.

"Weiss . . ." She whispers. With our chests in contact I can feel her heartbeat against me, along with the expansions and contractions that accompany her breathing. I slide my fingers along her cheek towards the back of her head until I am able to get a firm grasp. The sensation of her soft hair along the back of my hand and wrist brings a brighter smile to my lips that is only surpassed when I tug gently to get her to lower her lips towards mine with such an effortless gesture.

"Ruby . . ." I answer her earlier call for my name. I yearn to have her lips embracing me and reminding me of the deep affections we share for each other. I do not want to tug her towards me any harder, and to avoid that yet feed the impatience eating at my heart, I lift my head off of the couch to meet Ruby halfway, and her beautiful eyes final hide from me when she closes them prior to our lips connecting.

I make the advance to trap Ruby's upper lip between mine and give it a soft tug until it comes just shy of slipping free from me. She mirror's my actions and does the same, but with my lower lip instead. We lean in again to tighten our kiss, but this time I tilt my head towards my left, and Ruby does so in the opposite direction to assist in avoid a collision of our noses.

Her soft hums of approval light an untouched flame within me. With our lips pressed together once more in the altered position, I am able to invade her without much interference from her soft lips. We begin dancing tongue tips. My slow movements not being rushed by her, and instead turning into a slowly progressing kiss that makes me forget about everything.

With the delicate touch to our kiss I take the time to explore every inch of her mouth. My exploration is slow, thorough, and shameless, and ending with a panting Ruby starting to pull back. The last thing I want is for such a kiss to end, and I return to my gentle entwining tango with her wet muscle. She is too far for our lips to remain connected, leaving our open-mouth kiss to be the lewd sight to a lucky peeper.

I wish that all good things did not need to come to an end, but I suppose my patient pacing is far too slow for her, and she returns to pulling away until our kiss is broken, and our tongues link with a disintegrating bridge of saliva. I open my eyes to see hers are still closed, and her tongue trails slowly over her lips, cleaning them from the glistening trail my tongue left from my earlier lapse.

I want her lips against mine again. I want her body pressed as tightly against me as I can bare. I admit that I'm a selfish girl who has gotten all she could want in life, and perhaps even love is a department I am spoiled in.

"Shhh" Ruby whispers when I start to passively call out her name to get her to come back down to me. "Just lay back . . . and keep your lips parted."

She directs me with tender words and slow speech. A combo that is so sweet coming from her, yet seductive in its own right. She opens her eyes slowly, meeting my crystal-blue eyes that yearn for her attention. I make no response to her command aside from my physical movement of laying back until I am flat on the couch. With her directions followed, I see her lean down again, eyes half opened, and tongue partially extended from her lips. I mimic her action, but I witness a pause in her head movement.

"No, Weiss . . . tongue to yourself." Her voice is still a sweet, hushed whisper that is far more soothing than any lullaby I could be subjected to. If following her teasing instructions will grant me her lips once more, then I can't find a reason to not follow for now. Though I am extremely reluctant to do so, I pull my tongue back into my lips, and watch her continue her way dowm.

Her tongue makes first contact with the center of my upper lip, and begins tracing slowly along. The dreadfully slow pace makes my toes curl tightly, and my eyelids close tight. She is testing my self-control with this to the very limit. After dragging her tongue around my lips for a third time, she now changes things up and begins to trace her tongue along my jawline and towards my neck. Her patience is beyond what I thought her capable of, and is quick to turn a slow display of affection into a torturous act I can't help but hope will be over soon.

"Weiss . . . I really want to go to my room." Her whispers are in my ear, and the strain in her voice fills me in on the fight with her own desires she is having.

"Fine but . . . l-lock the door." I answer back. She doesn't respond after that. Instead, she carefully lifts herself off of the couch and pulls me up while gesturing me to the stairs. "I . . . I'm gonna bring the dishes to the kitchen and . . . make sure all the doors are locked. W-wait for me in-"

"I know, Ruby. Don't rush." I give her cheek a gentle kiss and make my way up the stairs. I decide to go to Yang's room to see how she and Blake are doing, but when I peek into the open door, neither of them are there, although I can hear their voices somewhat faintly. I look across the hall to where the voices are emerging from, and quickly make my retreat upon realizing it came from the bathroom.

I go into Ruby's room and close the door. There is a buildup of nervousness and anxiety while I wait for my girlfriend to appear and take a seat on her bed. It is apparent what she wants to do, and there is no secret that I am more than willing to accompany the idea. For me it is still a nerve-racking experience, especially because of the lack of alcohol in my system to help toughen up my nerves.

After an uncounted amount of time, that feels much closer to an eternity, I hear the door being opened, and the sight of Ruby entering. She stands in the doorway, but ignores my presence while she lowers down to a knee. I watch her begin to untie her right sneaker, but even after fumbling around and getting the bunny-ear knot undone, she starts to pull the red laces off of her sneaker. I sit and watch in intrigue to the odd action she is doing now of all times. When she has the shoelace released from her shoe, she kicks the shoe off to the side of the room with an quick flick of her ankle. She does the same to her other shoe, making shorter work of removing the shoelace entirely and discarding the loose footwear across the room.

Ruby passes me a warm smile, and I start to blush immensely at the broad gesture she is doing. She takes one of her red laces, and ties it into a bow on her doorknob. A global, and well-known sign that those inside are not to be disturbed. So well-known that even I am aware of its meaning. Ruby then begins to close the door, pushing it shut with her back towards it until it is heard shutting.

While she stands upright and takes her weight off of the door, there is one more sound I hear that makes me wince. That sound echoes in my head while she approaches me, leaving my heart pounding and mind in a fogged state while I analyze the graceful sway to her hips, and elation radiating from her at finally being alone with me. This will be our second time together in such a manner, and the sound that echoes in my mind still reminds me that we will not be interrupted. My darling Ruby made certain of that just now.

. . . She locked the door.


	62. Finally

I went the way of the Beta reader for the first time . . .

You know how painful it is to sit and wait to have someone review your work!? It's killer! I played Dark Souls 2 all day with my phone on my lap! Q.Q

Anyway, let me just throw out a quick thanks to my two Beta Buds . . . this may actually be my first chapter with a super low amount of errors (possibly none!).

Thanks to:

The3o0 and LawsonHawk

* * *

**_POV: YANG XIAO LONG_**

**_Chapter 62 – Finally_**

"I'm . . . not exactly hairless like you are."

For once in my life I am nervous.

Rather, For once in my life I am nervous about someone seeing me naked.

I am Yang Xiao Long: Breaker and Conqueror of hearts and bodies.

I am known for my supreme confidence in all aspects of my life, but knowing that over my shoulder is a woman I want to accept me in every aspect, and cherish me with every fiber of her being is an emotional aspect that is completely new to me.

Blake is perfect in every way. While she is monotone and her speech patterns could leave me slightly confused, I am used to them and know to pay more attention to what she is actually saying, as opposed to how she says it. She's sarcastic in nearly every other sentence, and is also one that doesn't hold a grudge, but gets even when it is least expected. She can be coldhearted to me and has been many times in the past, as well as judgmental even though she hates that about Weiss.

If Blake doesn't get her way, she will either accept it or make it clear that it's her way, or the highway. Most would assume a mindset like that would clash instantly with me, yet it is because of that mindset that I love her even more.

Blake talks to me differently from everyone else. She doesn't bend a knee to me, or see me as some 'out-of-my-league' type of girl. To the contrary, I've worked my hardest to finally be able to hold her in my arms, and even now I am still hesitant with my advances.

Her soft way of speaking that has never changed, and the way she goes about a situation in a slow, patient, and well thought out manner is something I can't help but admire her for. I love Blake for exactly who she is, and deep down I worry about something.

_. . . What if one day she thinks I am not worth her time anymore?_

That is something I know is completely out of Blake's thought process, but it is something that has crept its way into mine, and I hate it with a burning passion – pun intended. I loved someone with all my heart once, and it ended in a soul shattering nightmare that I have come to piece back together thanks to Blake taking the step to bring it out into the open.

My feelings for Shun are nothing now compared to how I feel for Blake. I want her to smile always and scold me for stupid reasons. Whether it be for my head-on method of approaching situations, straight down to my obsession with Monster. I love it when she scolds me, it's her way to let me know she cares. I love it when her ears wiggle beneath her bow. The way she rolls her eyes because of my jokes, and then threatens to duct tape my mouth shut should I ever even whisper that same joke again.

Since I've been going out with Blake, all of these feelings have just managed to amplify themselves. I want her to know my feelings, and that they are all modest. I am completely in love with her without the need for the lights to be off, and a bed to be involved. She is the person I never want to leave my side, or perhaps the person I never want to leave.

The few times I have flirted with Blake, or done things that are extremely intimate and perverse in nature, I took account to how she reacted. Each motion, every stroke, and every sway I did, and how she responded. Usually I command the tempo in the bedroom. Actually, I DICTATE the tempo. I do as I wish, and pay little attention to them since I know very well I am doing something they could only dream of experiencing with another.

Blake is the only person who I go as slow as I can with. I want to know what makes her ears wiggle, and what makes her ass shake. I want to know her every sweet spot and every desire. I want to please her and make that annoyed smile of hers come out; whether it be from my terrible jokes, or my poor attempts at romance. I want Blake to see me and never forget that I am hers. I never thought I would be in this kind of relationship again.

. . . A relationship where I am not the one in control.

"You think I'll care if you shave or not, Yang? Get in here before I actually start to shower and leave you alone in the tub." I can hear a few giggles in her voice. "Seriously, you think I am naturally like this? I trim."

I peek over my shoulder again, forgetting where I was for the moment. I always space out when I begin to think of her, and somehow she snaps me out of my daydreams before she's capable of noticing them herself. Either that, or my body just reacts so fast to her voice, that it is never shown that I was out of it.

"Just thought I'd say." I whisper and turn around.

Through the see-through curtain I can see her blurry form. The warm water of the shower cascades down her body and unfortunately, the curtain as well, which continues to further blur her beautiful, hidden form from me. I want to memorize every inch of her exposed body. From her long, slender legs, up to her shapely hips; along her slim, toned torso and her glorious C-cup breasts.

I begin walking towards the bathtub. She is standing on the end furthest away from the showerhead and knobs, which is the side I begin approaching to enter from. While I move the curtain out of the way to step in, my heart instantly begins to pound harder. During my entry into the porcelain tub, It's impossible for me to tear my eyes away from her, and I can see her eyes analyze my body in return.

"So that's what they look like..." She comments after I am completely inside.

"That's how . . . what looks like?" I ask, looking at the water that slowly trickles down her body.

"D-cup breasts, a sharp, cut core like yours, and a slightly unshaven bush . . . I can tell you groom it into a nice little triangle, don't you?" Her flirtations are something I am not expecting to hear in such a direct way. Her comment makes my cheeks go a dark red, and forces me to turn to the side to hide my untrimmed blonde patch.

"Excuse me for not having time to dig out my razor. If I knew that shower I offered would have been tonight, I may have showered earlier today to trim up all special for you." I speak with an annoyance to my words, hiding the nervous and bashful feelings eating away at my tummy.

"Like I said: I don't care if you're not trimmed." She repeats herself from earlier, and this time reaches out to pull me towards her. Our bodies just barely make contact with each other, but her goal with pulling me towards her was to switch places with me.

She succeeds in doing just that. Her pull makes me take a few steps towards her, but before I go colliding with her, she sidesteps me, leading me to rest my back against the wall furthest from the falling water.

The calm sway to her hips is replaced with something far more enticing, and somewhere within the back of my mind I realize that she has taken it upon herself to take the lead.

With the constant noise of the shower raining down on the porcelain floor below us, she walks up to me. Her arms are extended out, gesturing for a hug that I am more than happy to give. However, I read her body language wrong, although the extension of my arms made Blake's goal much easier. The moment my arms extend to hug her, she grips each of my wrists firmly and pins them above my head onto the wall.

Needless to say that her sudden change to a more aggressive approach throws me off. I begin to give a polite protest to the change of pace, but that earns me a loud hiss from her that startles me.

"You have no idea how much I've been hinting at you to do more than you usually do . . . and you just can't take the hint." Her voice emanates slight anger, and her eyes are filled with a predatory gaze that bores holes straight through me. "Just let me do the work for once . . . don't get used to it."

_Don't make it easy to._

I can feel the water over my chest begin to dry from Blake's body shielding me from the shower water. The continuing dryness fading when Blake presses herself against me, dragging the moisture of her body onto mine and making me shiver. I can feel her moistened nipples dragging along the area between my nipples and underbust.

I welcome the warm feeling of her lips to my neck and go a step further to tilt my head and grant her more room while the flesh trapped in her lips is subjected to the he vacuum of her mouth, until she is satisfied with the applied pressure having the certainty that she popped a few blood vessels, leaving me with a mark of her affection. Or perhaps… Her ownership.

"You can be such an idiot, Yang." She whispers into my ear. It's something she's told me many times before, but for some reason it hurts more to me now than it has in the past. Considering that Blake has just told me she has been hinting at me several times that it is more than welcomed for me to make my advances, yet my remaining overly cautious to avoid messing up with her makes me worry more about her becoming bored with me. My worried thoughts are put to rest when she whispers the second half of her sentence.

"But you're my idiot." My heart melts at her words and I give a soft nod of my head. My arms are still held firmly to the wall, but I am always the stronger one of the two of us whether she likes that or not. I make an effort to pull my left arm free that is successful without me needing to make any secondary attempts, or major struggles.

"And don't you forget it." I respond, my left arm snaking around her body to hold her tightly to me. I never want to let her go. With a slippery floor underneath us, I'd rather not stay standing, lest I risk the chance of finding out whether or not Blake has more than nine lives, if she were to trip and fall.

I push her away from me very gently until she gives me enough room to lower down to a squat, and finally slide my feet forward to lay flat on my ass. She understands my adapted posture and wastes no time in seating herself on my lap. Her long, dark hair is flowing both down her back and over her shoulder, although the strands that flow over her shoulder anger me while they cling to her wet skin and more importantly cover up her part of her perky pink nipples.

"You make it hard to forget." She counters. I think she has been observing my trailing eyes, because she makes sure all of her hair is moved to go down her back, leaving her chest entirely exposed to my sight, and more importantly my touch.

"I don't want you forgetting," are the last words I whisper before I slowly slide my hands around to her lower back. They travel together while working around her hips, coming close to meeting up until my left hand rises to her upper back, which lets me tug her more towards me to bring her beyond perfect chest to my lips. My right hand slides in the opposite direction and begins to knead and grope her shapely backside that I have dreamed, for a LONG time, of caressing in such a manner.

I place my lips around her left nipple, encircling the hard nub and areola to be treated by a tight vacuum within my mouth, and the flicking expertise of my tongue. There is a sharp gasp from her when I begin, and it makes me thrive to hear it again. Both of her hands are placed on my head, one with the purpose of holding my skull in place and not allowing me to pull away from her breast prematurely, and the other rakes through my hair, fighting through any tangles found and turning it into an absentminded game that needs no attention to play.

"I wish I knew it was this easy to shut you up." Blake whips. I could easily find a nice counter for that, but I don't want to pull away from my Kitty's pretty titty. I'll let her have this victory, but at a price. I can feel the pounding of her heart against my lips, and while it is very powerful, it is also fast. It brings me extreme happiness to know that I'm the one doing this to her. I'm making her heart pound, and keeping her breathing heavy.

Between deep pants I can hear her whisper to stop, and while I want to keep going I sense there is more to the request than I should assume. I slow my assault to a slow trailing of the tip of my tongue around her hard nub until she realizes I am not going anywhere until the hand to the back of my head relaxes its grip to give me room to pull back, which doesn't take long at all.

I pull away from her breasts with a smile, bringing my right hand to the front of her body to run over the shapely breasts and admire their perfect fighting of gravity. I tilt my head back so I can look up at her, putting my eyes in a prime position to get hit with sprinkles of water that are bouncing onto her shoulders, and leaving the baby-sized splashes to flow onto me.

"Did I do something wrong?" I ask through slight concern, and she quickly shakes her head.

"I . . . I need more." It's something I could only dream her to say, and I know just how to fulfil her wants and needs.

"Just don't suffocate me, Kittycat." My out of place comment earns me an odd look from Blake, but her cheeks go red, and her eyes widen when my next action makes her realize what I meant by my statement.

I take my hands off of her body, despite my not wanting to. I place my hands onto the sides of the tub, letting me push my body away from the part of the tub my back is leaning against. It makes it easier for me to lay back and more importantly, position myself flat on my back with my breasts touching Blake's thighs. She has her knees on either side of me, and to get into a spot that we both desire I need her to slide herself up to place her kitty just over my lips.

"If that's the case, I can't promise, Yang."

_Kinky cat._

She reaches down to pin my wrists to the floor while sliding herself up. I expect to have my hands free in a moment, but that dream is shattered when she places her knees over my open palms to keep them both pinned underneath her weight. I look to my left and right, the porcelain walls that use to me in my peripheral vision now replaced by the pale flesh of Blake's tender thighs. I am now a happy prisoner of hers, and only wish she had the handcuffs to be my Warden.

I lift my head off of the hard bathtub to place a kiss to her left thigh, then turn my head to do the same to her right. There's a growth in a scent that dizzies me and fogs my mind in a growing haze. I look straight upwards and come to sight with my Blake's most prized gem.

I am unable to help myself but stare, jaw-dropped in the beauty of her intimate appearances. The puffed lips of her gender urges me to reach up and spread them apart to expose the wetness trapped beneath along with her slickened, pink tunnel. For a moment I forget where I am and attempt to do just that, but I get a quick reminder of the restrained position I am in which disposes of my idea immediately.

The thumping of my heart drowns out the sounds of the running water, and my audible panting. The scent in my nose burns into my mind to stay. I remember this scent back from the first time I ever caught wind of it, back before me and Blake were even a couple. Then of course there was this morning, although that was an event of love and miscommunication.

". . . Yang . . ."

The strained whisper makes me shoot my eyes up at Blake. Her left hand is placed on the wall, while her right is gripping the edge of the tub. I can see her chest's heavy and exaggerated expansions and contractions, something I've never seen of Blake, especially with how relaxed she always is.

I lift my gaze a little higher to meet with her beautiful amber eyes. I find the predatory stare she used earlier is gone, and replaced by something more along the lines of a pleading look that makes my heart melt. I've been centimeters close to my Kitty's 'kitty' for a while now, yet I have not made a move.

It's a situation I cannot control, and I hate it with a fiery passion. I don't want to hesitate, or freeze when Blake is in such a position. I want to show her just how much I love her, and hopefully scream my name, announcing to the world that she is mine, and I am hers.

Now's the time to make the first step towards that goal.

I slide myself just slightly lower, having to bend my legs to make room for more of my body at the other side of the tub. With me directly below Blake's pelvis I lift my head off of the tub floor and give a long, slow dragging of my tongue from the bottom of Blake's sex, slowly to the top without parting her lips too much.

. . . Let's face it. I can't tell you what I'm doing to Blake and keep it in modest words. It just isn't me.

. . . Shall we ramp it up a bit?

The amazing body control she has drives me insane. The way she pulls her hips away from me after the first lick, yet the rest of her body remains perfectly in place is something barely noticeable to some, but very attractive to me. Blake murmurs an apology and brings her hips back towards me to let me continue, and this is exactly what I do.

I go back to my initial starting point, pressing the tip of my tongue to the bottom of Blake's warm, dripping pussy. The entire time I keep my eyes on her, looking at her reactions through the valley of her beautiful breasts. The tensing in her body tells me I am doing this just right, and I continue to push my tongue up to part her lips even further before I start to drag upwards… slowly.

The strong, painfully slow movement of my tongue makes her upper body spasm and fight to keep still. Even in such an erotic situation I cherish the adorable faces she is capable of making. My tongue traverses over her slick hole, causing me to dip my tongue inside momentarily during my travels. Her taste is beyond divine, and is infinitely more addictive than anything I can remember.

Yes, even Monster.

"No cheating." She hisses down to me. By her words I am guessing she doesn't want me to finish her off quickly by tending to her clit, which is an order I am far more than happy to follow.

I give a slight nod of my head which causes my nose to touch the top of her mound, and give me a strong, yet brief waft her addictive scent. This time when I slide the tip of my tongue inside her, I lean up to press my lips to her virgin nethers to be able to force more of my wet, flexible muscle inside her. The arching of her back, and sudden curses that slip past her lips are music to my ears. She's always so calm and collective, but I forced her out of that just now. Her right hand released the side of the tub, and is now holding the back of my head, forcing my lips to press firmly to hers, despite them not being the same kind of lips.

"I swear, if you stop I will kill you, Yang!"

Her voice has no traces of anger in it, even though she says it through tightly clenched teeth. It's another one of my Kitty's ways of being so indirect with me.

_'Don't stop' would be a nicer way to put it, Blake._

I give small nods of my head to assist with getting my tongue deeper inside her. She's unbelievably tight and I can feel every inch of her vaginal walls pulsating with her heartbeat. With each flick of my tongue I am being pulled in deeper, made to take in more of her scent, taste, and become treated to much louder moans and groans that mark her approval.

Her eyes are closed, and her left is hand now caressing her breasts to add to the pleasure I am giving her. The firm flicks of my tongue along the roof of her canal send out a sharp reflex through her body that has her grinding herself over my lips and smothering my nose against her crotch. The more I tend to my beautiful girlfriend, the harder it becomes for me to breathe. I am unsure if I will bring her to the peak she is thriving for, or if I will suffocate prior, but I actually could care less. I have the most beautiful girl kneeling over me, making faces I have only fantasized about.

"N-not yet." She whispers, abrupt to pull her hips away from me and take her knees off of my hands. She places her hands to my underarms to slide me back up to the top of the tub so she can lay on top of me.

The soft look in her eyes are breathtaking to say the least. The amber color becoming less apparent than usual, and is instead replaced partially by her slowly dilating pupils. She places her palms down on either side of my head, making it easier to lower herself down and rest her cheek on top of my above-average bust. The purring that is radiating from her throat is felt more through her chest that is now tickling my abdomen. She looks so peaceful despite prematurely pulling away from me . . . it's kind of adorable. Although what is really grabbing my attention are how close her ears are to me.

"I won't be able to keep up." She murmurs, inching herself higher to plant a few kisses along my chin and neck. "We've barely been at it for twenty minutes and I almost came."

_Wow, twenty minutes? . . . That's the longest anyone's ever lasted._

"Psh, you're fine, Kitty." I wrap my left arm on her upper back, and my right along her ass, cupping the soft flesh to pull her firmly against me. "But . . . there's something we gotta take care of."

My voice lowers to a whisper when I say the last sentence, and her ears perk in response to the different tone I take with her. During her confusion I lean up and steal a quick set of peppering kisses from her and lay her down next to me. The tub is relatively big compared to me, but I think it is a pretty average size. I am able to lay flat inside and barely need to bend my legs to fit, and width wise I am able to lay Blake next to me without us being crushed together.

"And what's that, Yang?" She asks and places a hand on my cheek. I love it when she places her hand there. It's so soft and tender, and brings me to look straight into her hypnotic eyes. I could stay like this forever, but there is indeed something that I want… no, need to do.

I bring my near hand underneath her and around her back to hold her towards me. The tightened embrace brings us both into a tight, embracive kiss that should have happened a while back. The swift and controlled movements of her tongue bring my cheeks to a deep crimson color. I can feel her starting to crawl on top of me again while dominating our kiss, but I keep my body turned sideways to disallow that.

In the meantime while both of us are entranced by our liplock and tongue tangling, I slide my other hand down my hip, measuring in my mind Blake's body in comparison to mine. When my hand touches the curve of my ass I bring my hand forward towards Blake's body, landing my palm just over my Kitty's pussycat. The surprise touch resulting in her jerking away from the kiss and looking at me, then down at my hand.

"Be honest . . . does it hurt?" She asks, looking at me with nervous eyes. I want to tell her it doesn't hurt a bit, but truthfully I don't know how resilient she is. It hurt my first time quite a bit, but at the same time it is different for everyone, at least it was for the- . . . amount of others that shall remain uncounted.

"Depends on you, Blake. Just relax and enjoy, okay?" I offer her my best smile and give her nose a quick kiss. Blake gives me a slow nod of her head and spreads her legs further apart to expose herself more to my wandering fingers.

I recall from this morning that she uses two fingers, so I start off instantly with that, under the impression she is still soaked, and I am right with that assumption. I look at her closed eyes, parted lips and relaxed face from the sensual penetration. Her breathing is calm, but I become surprised when she sneaks a hand down and mimics my motion, sliding two fingers inside me, and making my hips jump.

"Hey~ I thought I was doing the work here." I playfully complain, moving my two fingers inside her up to the second knuckle before withdrawing them almost completely to do so again. My movements remain long, slow, and careful, which makes her breathing become chopped and inconsistent when she tries to speak to me and instead fights back a moan with a sharp gasp.

"Yang, you always do the work." She rolls her eyes and brings her lips down to one of my breasts, trapping my nipple between sharp teeth. The sensation is much more than welcomed, especially the slightly wincing pain from her tugging my nipple with her teeth until it pops free of her mouth.

"Because I like doing the work . . . besides, after this then I can show you one of the things I keep in my room. Another time, of course." I whisper, peaking her curiosity. I don't give her time to question what is in my room, and instead make her start to hiss, snarl, moan, and squirm with my fingers alternating in rhythm. While one goes in, I pull the other back, raking them over her g-spot on each entry and withdraw. To add to the situation, I bring my thumb over and start to drag her clit in small, swift circles that prove to be very effective on my Blakey.

The trio of moving digits practically paralyzes her and leaves her lying flat on the tub floor with me adjusting myself to lean over her a bit. There are immense quivers all over her body, and I can see goosebumps forming while the water still cascades throughout her form. I pull her to my shoulder, letting her bite into my collar bone to help muzzle herself, although I become worried about how hard she is capable of biting without realizing. I scan her entire body, making special note of her toes curling and thighs almost coming together around my hand on a few occasions. She is a bit too sensitive to this, so I hope her orgasm will block out any pain she may receive. It's a technique I have done before with thankful results, but those faceless women are nothing compared to my kitty.

"Y-Yang!" I hear the muffled cry from my shoulder, keeping my assault going on at a steady pace. I want to follow her request from earlier to not rush it all, but I want her to have the most immense experience I can offer, so I go the one extra step.

I part my lips and use them to trap Blake's ear. The Faunus accessory proving to be her most sensitive feature once again. The loud, echoing, and muffled squeal into my neck could possibly be heard through the house, and the resulting arch in her back tells me my Blake is entering her own blissful little world.

Despite her orgasm taking over, I make no signs of slowing down. I wait until she is screaming into my flesh, and the pulsating walls fight my fingers to a point that I am beyond certain she is lost in her own world. In my eyes everything is now slowing down, and an internal clock plays in my mind.

_I hope this doesn't hurt too much, Blake . . . Just breathe._

I take a slow inhale through my nose, then push my fingers in much further on the next drive, although I make sure the thrust isn't anything swift. I wince when there is a relief in her vice-like grip, and immediately turn my head to look down at her. The hand on my cheek is removed, and instead wraps around my head to hold me to her.

"Just relax, Blake . . . it'll go away. Just relax." I keep repeating. My fingers are still inside her, but not moving. I am a bit frightened too, since I am worried of hurting her more than I already have. I wait until she is able to pull her lips from my neck and make eye contact with me. The worry on my face disappearing when she smiles.

"If you leave me because I'm not a virgin anymore . . . you're dead." She keeps a soft smile while she speaks, and I can't help but to lean down and give her ear another nip that sends her body jerking up while I withdraw my fingers.

"Well, I do like to live." I answer with her own sarcasm. "Now, how about we clean up? . . . As in actually clean up?" I ask, gesturing to the soap sitting in a holder built into the wall furthest from the showerhead.

"Just . . . let me wash down low . . . it does hurt." She whispers, and I give a quick nod of my head to comply. For a moment I abandon Blake, working to my feet on the slippery surface so I can grab the bar of soap and drench it under the running water.

I have this little obsession with soap . . . I always check the underside of the green bar, and pry off the soft residue that builds underneath, which usually shortens the lifespan of it drastically . . . but at least now it isn't a multi-colored bar.

"Here, stand up." I hold out my hand to help her to her feet, bringing her to the far end of the tub so I can start off by moving her hair to the front of her body, leaving me ample room to clean off her back, and work my way down to her waistline; unlike earlier, I take my sweet time with lathering up her shapely little ass.

"Oh, _Now_ you decide to soap that for me." She teases again, and I waste no time in tossing the bar over her shoulder when I am done, and giving the soapy ass a quick smack that makes her yelp and glare daggers at me.

"Not my fault you have the cutest ass in Remnant. I'm just muscle." I say in response to her stares. She keeps her eyes on me, backing into the water to let the soap wash off while also rubbing her recently sored rear.

"Yes, well. I wish your abs were a little sharper . . ." I catch Blake giving my toned 6-pack a few glares. It's nothing solid, but is also very noticeable when I wear anything that shows my belly.

"Oh please, you love them." I whisper, although in my mind I am thinking something entirely different.

_I'll ask Uncle Qrow to help me with some core workouts . . ._

"I do . . . now let me get your back, and we can do the rest ourselves." She suggests, and I have no problem with that. My fingers are pruning up anyway.

I nod my head and switch places with her, leaving me under the water to get the soap and hand it to her. I take the moment to move my massive amount of hair out of the way and give her room to work. The first touch to the soap on my back makes me jump slightly, but I am completely relaxed afterwards.

I am Yang Xiao Long: Breaker and Conqueror of hearts and bodies.

. . . at least I used to be, until I met Blake Belladonna.


	63. Abduction

_**So! I got threatened earlier Q.Q I'm scared . . .**_

_**Someone told me literally 5 minutes before this chapter is out to keep updating or else they'll find me D:**_

**_You guys wouldn't hunt me down, right? . . . RIGHT!?_**

**_Anyway, I am sure you were all being impatient peoples and read the title, POV, and the first sentence and want to strangle me cause it's not White Rose, and for those of you who didn't skip down and are actually reading this author note . . . I guess I just ruined the surprise._**

**_Enjoy the chaptah! :D_**

* * *

_**POV:**_**_ ? ? ?_**

**_Chapter 63 – Abduction_**

"There's been a slight change of plans. Get her out of there as silently as possible. Also, if you can spot Belladonna's weapon, I would like that to be taken with you."

"Any real reason?" I ask, exiting the back door of my home and leaving it unlocked. I have my scroll in a contracted form, magnetized to the gauntlet on my left arm. Over my ear I have a wireless headset, making it easy to talk and walk, or jog in my case. I hate walking places, I feel slow and sluggish. Why waste a few minutes of precious time? Jogging won't kill you.

"Because she's the one that can't fight hand to hand."

"I could debate that, but alright . . . look for her weapon, and take it."

"Good, contact me after it is all done."

"Yes, Sir."

I reach down to press a button on my scroll that simultaneously hangs up the phone, and begins playing my music. Just because I'm going on some silent activity doesn't mean I need to listen to the crickets and the faint roars of Grim in the nearby forest. The long road becomes a bit bothersome at how it goes straight a majority of the time. I want to make a sharp turn, cut an angle . . . anything to break the boredom of moving around so early in the morning.

It's not even sunrise yet, but I'm already at the household I need to get to. It's a cream-colored house, decorating with paneling, and the only spot I recognize without any paneling is the chimney, which is made of bright red brick. To the left of the house (My right since I am looking straight at it) there is a tiny, self-made shack that seems to be doubling as a garage, although I find it to be a bit too small to be able to house an actual car, unless it's one of those tiny two door cars.

I make my way to the front door, turning the knob slightly before it refuses to rotate any further.

_Door's locked . . . hmm._.

I check my left and right, taking a moment to look at the few other houses in the suburban area. It doesn't appear that there is any activity at any of the other ones, which makes things a lot simpler.

My next task is the back door which proves to be locked as well. I let out a loud sigh, sitting myself on the back patio and gazing at the door in thought. I have several lockpicks on me, but the locks on the door are far more secure than anything else I've seen, otherwise I would be inside and searching like I intend to do.

The obvious choice now is to search for a window I can jimmy open. I step off of the patio and turn around to look over the house. From where I am standing there are two windows above the kitchen door. One of them appears to be for a bedroom and is closed, but the other window is sitting above the first, and is wide open.

_Jackpot . . . now how the fuck do I get up there? _

Creativity has never been my strong suite, aside from the weapon I made that is. I look down at the gauntlets on each arm and give a swift, very specific flick of my wrists that triggers them to switch from their inactive state. I watch as the gauntlet portion along my forearm slides back to cover my entire limb up to my elbow. At the same time several thin, steel plates converge over my fingers, covering them in the tight, reinforced metal, along with having very sharp tips at the end to resemble claws.

These are my second creation, the first I discarded of long ago, and while these are far more efficient than what I had previously, they are only half of my entire set but I don't need the other half for this task. I walk over to the side of the house with an idea. The ceiling along the side is very low, making it easy for me to hop up to grasp the edge and start shimmying my way along the rising slope until I come to be leveled with the lower of the two windows.

I carefully swing my legs left and right, building momentum until I am able to let go of the ledge and grasp onto the windowsill without a sound. I made these with a special fabric along the tip of each claw to cancel out the sound of an impact. I can go anywhere and not make a peep as long as my landing is properly controlled. I change my grip to the side of the window to pull myself up and get my feet on the small platform.

Inside the window I get a slight surprised to see two uncovered bodies . . . in every sense of the word. Ruby Rose, and Weiss Schnee are both completely naked, well . . . almost naked. Ruby has some shorts on for whatever reason, although the snow heiress is showing everything she has to flaunt, or rather what little she has to flaunt. There is some sort of red bracelet keeping Ruby's right wrist bound to Weiss' left hand. The duo are pressed against each other and fell asleep looking into the other's eyes it appears. The bound hands have their fingers interlaced, further holding them together in a rather adorable setting, although seeing them like that brings me to wonder how I will separate them without waking the other.

I sigh, realizing things have just gotten a bit more complicated. I look above me to the open window, and carefully jump up, using my clawed gauntlets to help me scale the vertical wall until I am safely inside.

_Seriously? Someone sleeps up here?_

I look at the bed and roll my eyes, although the sheets are messy, and there is a suitcase near my feet that I should probably be looking through in case I am lucky enough to find a weapon I have not seen before, although I know of the weapons for the other three. A scythe, a rapier, and gauntlets similar to mine, would be weapons I am not looking for. However, what catches my eyes are the massive amounts of tinkering tools and weapon workspace that occupies half of the attic. The many gadgets hanging on the wall, complimented by several work benches and boxes of different parts that make this a gearhead's paradise makes me wonder what person would be bored enough to pick up such a hobby and have so much invested in it. Whoever it is definitely needs to get out more and find a girlfriend.

After recovering from the minor shock of witnessing an impressive (obsessive) workstation, I kneel down and open the suitcase to check for the mystery weapon. What I find is what appears to be a cleaver, but closer inspection shows that the cleaver is a sheath to something more. I could care less to inspect the rest of the weapon, and in fact it would just be a waste of time to do so. I have one of my two objectives, and now I just need to get the other and make my exit. I decide to leave the weapon on the windowsill, considering that the person I am after is directly below me, and on top of that I can use the window as my exit, making it simple to recover the weapon that will be directly above me as I leave.

I look around for a way down from the attic, spotting a ladder that is glued to the floor, and figure this house must be no different than a majority of the other housings in Patch. I walk over and carefully step on the ladder, feeling the tension give in for it to fall, but oddly enough the ladder soon rises back up on its own, and I find that a bit peculiar.

_Home owner did their own twist on this . . . not bad._

I step on the ladder a second time, adding much more pressure until it starts to slide down further, but I do not climb down it. Instead I grip the ledge of the floor to drop down and hang, leaving my feet centimeters above the ground to give me a silent landing when I release. All that's left is to move out of the way and allow the ladder to float back up on its own to close, saving me the hassle of doing so myself. I take a moment to recall which direction I walked from to get to the ladder, and walk down the hallway in that general direction towards a room at the end of the hall. The ceiling is relatively high, especially since it was able to keep my 5'11 form from touching the floor. That may not seem too impressive, but along with my wingspan taken into account, it comes out to being a ceiling that is above 8 feet high.

I approach the door, but I pause upon hearing movement going on behind it. My eyes widen in surprise that someone is up already. My quickest thought is to take advantage of the claw-gauntlets I am wearing and hop up directly above the doorway to claw into the ceiling and hold there. The door is approximately 6 feet high, which leaves me 2 feet of space to keep my body from touching the top of the door should it be opened.

_If she comes out now . . . things will be a lot easier._

I look down, patiently waiting for someone to exit the room, and after several more sounds of shuffling I finally hear footsteps that grow louder until the door is carefully opened. While the knob is turned I make note of the red lace tied into a tight bow that rotates with the turning handle. The person to exit is Weiss Schnee, and a smirk crosses my lips. She is wearing a silk, ice-blue gown with white spaghetti straps to hold it all together, something I could expect an heiress to have as sleepwear. I hold in my spot, watching the heiress continue down the hallway until eventually making a right turn into another room.

_Actually, this may work out way better._

I drop down from where I am, looking into the room, and then down the hall to see if the door will reopen. Pleasantly enough it is not, and allows me to walk into the bedroom, closing the door behind me to take my time with approaching Ruby Rose. The small girl with white-tipped brunette hair is snoozing, with the only noise being her delicate inhales and exhales that can be heard throughout the room, but prove to not have any annoying quality to them.

Seeing the girl without a top is not at all bothersome to me, although I do begin looking around to find a shirt to place on the young one. What I find is a red t-shirt that will surely do the job, and waste no time in carefully lifting the form up to a sitting position to get the shirt on. While I make progress, I am expecting the girl to wake up. As a matter of fact, I want her to wake up. It will make things simpler when it is time to leave.

After the shirt is on, I lay her back down and go back to the door to listen carefully for a moment. The bathroom door is still closed, but I can hear the sounds of running water, which could mean several things: teeth are being brushed, a face is being washed, or anything else that is time consuming and will grant me a bigger window of opportunity to get what I need done.

I look around the room, spotting a black and red corset with a cape attached to it, along with a pair of combat boots. Neither of those things I will need, so I suppose there is nothing else for me to take.

_Actually . . ._

I look around for a closet, quickly opening it up once it is spotted to find a decent pair of sneakers which I grab to take with me. I walk back over to the girl, giving her a few shakes to wake up, and once the eyes flutter open I deliver a swift hit to the side of her neck. Doing this will make sure she sleeps soundly throughout the entire trip back.

I roll her onto her stomach and slide her legs out the window up to her knee. I make my own exit through the window, reaching above me to grab the weapon of request, and then sit down on the windowsill with my back to the window itself. The odd positioning lets me to put Ruby's legs over my shoulder and pull on them until I can feel her midsection resting on me. To make my drop down I push off the wall, making sure to give an extra firm push to assure her head clears the windowsill before my decent down to the grassy field below begins.

The impact is loud, but my legs are by far the strongest part of my entire body, and absorb the landing with ease. I flex my fingers in a certain way, causing my gauntlets to revert to their inactive form and expose my hands once more, which are now beading with sweat. All in all things were nice and quiet, which is just how I like it.

The walk back I play it cautious and travel along the outskirts of the nearby forest to avoid any attention, even though it is still pitch black outside. While I am walking I reach to my forearm to my scroll that has been kept magnetized to my weapon the entire time, and press a few buttons to speed dial.

"I got her." I say once the ringing stops.

"Good, I expect you will be doing things as requested."

"You already paid me, it's not like I have a choice." I smile.

"Thatta girl . . . I expect you won't hold back when the other three come to find her."

"I'll go all out . . . but why did you call me back and tell me to do it this way?"

"To make things interesting. I wonder how quick her team will panic without their leader present." I nod my head, chuckling as a voice begins yelling in the background.

"Get off the scroll, we're dropping in you irresponsible ass!"

". . . I'm being yelled at. I hope to see how much progress has been made."

"Tell Mister Tai I said 'Hello'." I say before hanging up the phone and continuing to make my way back to the town, sneaking in through the back door of my home in one of the cul-de-sacs that is just around the corner from Brandon's gym. Yang knows where my apartment is, and if I was careless enough to leave any clues that would lead to me being the culprit, then I won't be surprised to find the trio here soon . . . and I'll be ready.


	64. An Ugly, Yet Beautiful World

**_O_**_kay, so you guys no I wouldn't be THAT much of an ass to simply skip over the White Rose lemon, and here it is. I was surprised to finish this chapter, then read some of the Chapter 63 reviews because of the irony of some of the contents of this chapter._

_I do have a question for you guys, and while it may not be noticeable because of my writing style, I guarantee many have made prominent notice of it. In any of my lemon I would find some use of word play, usually comedic in some way, shape, or form to break up the awkwardness I feel sometimes when writing a lemon. Do you guys take notice of that? and if so does it bug you? Just something I would like to know._

_I am also proud to say that at 7,858 words (prior to Author's Note) this chapter far destroys my previous max word chapter which was our favorite Chapter 26 WhiteRose afterprom. Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and as always make sure you review . . . I was also glad to see that my mystery POV was not too difficult to figure out :) You guys are Sherlock Holmes :P_

* * *

**_POV: WEISS SCHNEE_**

**_Chapter 64 – An Ugly Yet Beautiful World  
_**

The sounds of the locking door forever rings in my mind. I am stuck, no . . . I am trapped in a room where Ruby is at her greatest comfort level. The sweet, silver eyes I look into and enthrall myself with still hold their adorable, innocent charm. It's the same Ruby I am always with, but there is no doubt that she has changed; I just hope in the long run that this change is positive.

Ruby's delicate hips have a special sway to them as she approaches me. What was once upon a time a nervous movement filled with hesitation like many things she did, now holds a confidence and determination that suits Ruby Rose to no end. Smeared across her face is the happiest of smiles, along with those silver eyes that seem to stare straight through my very being. Each time I look into them I feel weaker and weaker. As if the essence of my being is under captivity.

Those beautiful, silver eyes . . . the ones that resemble the romantic luminescence of a full moon. I can see the glistening of the stars anytime I look into them, and each time some form of worry inevitably begins to torture me, her eyes become my tranquility.

Her flowing red cloak that follows behind her, coming so close to brushing along the shellacked wooden floor does nothing but add to the displayed elegance of her walk. The few seconds it takes her to reach me seem like minutes, allowing me to look over every inch of her clothed form and imagine what awaits beneath.

. . . The thoughts of my Rose exposing her soft skin and intimate areas for my perverse viewing begin filling my head. Shivers shoot up the center of my spine, parting ways near the top to send the minor clenching feeling to my shoulders, and down my arms to stop just short of my elbows.

Since I've met Ruby I've become more accustomed to shivering, which is something I have never done for the obvious reason that the cold is an element I've always welcomed with open arms. Yet there is always something in her eyes that I found tremor-inducing, and could never pinpoint just what it was. After months and months of continued agitation and avoidance of Ruby because of this odd feeling that she pushed into me, simply because of her presence, I realized that she is doing nothing. My body found the oddest way of telling me of my feelings for her.

Each time I shiver, or cringe, or blush I am reminded of my earliest feelings for her; reminded of the dread I held that they may not be returned. The day she finds out my feelings and would reject me as some perverse, disgusting creature that she has the unfortunate problem of needing to live in the same dorm room with. Sitting on her bed now, heart pounding, body paralyzed, and my beautiful girlfriend a few steps away makes me glad… No, ecstatic that I could not have been more wrong in all my life.

". . . "Weiss." Her angelic voice squeaks, radiating concern and worry. I offer a quick, stuttering shake of my head to break off of my passed memory and instead look ahead of me to Ruby, who is now lowering to a knee and resting her hands on my lap. Her cheeks are a shade of red that rivals the flower for which she is named after. The twinkling in her eyes is at its all-time greatest. Such a gentle shine makes me think she is close to border lining tears, but I know the face she makes when she cries, or is hurt emotionally . . . I degraded her so much in the past that it became a guilty pleasure to see the adorable face take that slight turn. I always felt awful afterwards, but my pride never brought me to an apology.

"Yes, Ruby?" I answer, placing my hands atop hers while I look down at my kneeling leader.

The look of worry on her face lessens, but is still present and makes me feel nervous in turn. I can't help but worry when she worries, and hurt when she hurts. I am just like Yang in that department, except I want her happy to monopolize that beautiful smile of hers all for myself.

"Um . . . Are you really . . ." She begins, but doesn't dare finish her sentence. I already know where she was going with that. She thinks back to the prom and recalls are night of unadulterated intimacy that was assisted by a tipsy-Weiss, and not the sober Weiss she's always known.

"Ruby . . . this will be our second time, or first if you wish to discard my alcohol influenced night. I will regret nothing we do Ruby Rose, and if you ever ask me that again in any way, shape or form . . . I will show you a wrath only a power-wielding heiress is capable of." My tone is firm, but I speak the last sentence in a teasing manner to let her know I am not angry.

"You won't regret a thing?" She asks, and I find it a bit odd to know that is the wording she hones in on. I give her a nod of my head, and become treated to a smile of pure elation. Ruby is quick to grab my hands, holding them behind my back while she hugs me.

"This is a bit uncomfortable, Ruby." I whisper, laying my chin on the top of her head to return her affections. I wiggle my arms again, my wrists still within her grasp while her innocent affection makes my cheeks redden.

"S-Sorry . . . let me help you with your jacket." Ruby releases my arms, although I see some red item in her swiftly moving left hand that disappears from one instance to the next. I am still in my usual outfit, as well as the rest of the team. On second thought, half the team, considering Blake and Yang are in the bathroom together doing things I would usually refer to as unthinkable.

I extend my left arm out while Ruby slides the jacket down from my left shoulder to remove it from me. Her gentle fingers run over my now exposed arm, leaving me with what must be the world's doofiest grin across my face. She makes short work of the other sleeve and tosses the jacket somewhere off to the side. The lack of my bolero jacket has me in my strapless dress that leaves a good portion of my back exposed, which is usually covered by my jacket. Near the bottom of my outfit the dress transitions into the loose combat skirt I wear underneath, and while it is not the 'most revealing' of skirts, there is something odd about it that nobody knows; this oddity meant for nothing but my own comfort . . . There is no underskirt.

Ruby still remains on a knee in front of me, never breaking her gaze with me while she makes short work of removing my jacket. The pounding in my chest extends to my throat. I am nervous to be honest, but I want this more than anything else. I want Ruby to take me . . . in every dirty, perverse, and unadulterated sense of the word.

"Ruby, you dolt . . . Don't go making this awkward." I smile down to her and spread my legs a bit more, making it easier to pull her closer until her torso presses to the side of the bed. Her cheeks are still reddened, and I am sure mine are far worse; especially since my skin is extremely pale, which will show the contrast even further.

"S-Sorry . . ." She murmurs again, taking my physical gesture of making room for her to get closer a step further. She sneaks from her kneel to a crouch and pushes me back onto the bed. Before I am capable of lifting my head to look down and spot her, she is already on top of me with her hands on my shoulders, and her knees on either side of my body.

I've grown up to be spoiled. I have gotten anything I've ever asked for, and then some. My relationship with Ruby is no different. She is sweet, caring, and much braver in these predicaments than I am. She treats me like her princess, yet the way she carries out this treatment makes her actions double as a girlfriend.

Our position now is just like earlier. Ruby on top of me, looking down at my near paralyzed body and lowering herself down for another kiss to continue where we left off. The only other sound in the room is the light creaking of her mattress beneath me while she shifts her weight around.

"W-Weiss" She whispers, and her tone reveals to me she wants to say something, and it isn't just another heated whisper of my name.

"Yes, Ruby?" I ask, placing my hands on her hips and giving an abrupt tug of her body until she collapses onto me with a soft thud. Before she can speak I bring my lips down to her right shoulder and begin planting several kisses and nips towards the base of her neck and shoulder blade. I'm impatient, and hate waiting for something I want. To stop that I figured teasing my little Rose will suppress some of my more . . . untamed desires.

I can feel her body shake, and several times she tries to jerk her shoulder away from me to no avail. The soft gasps that morph into sharp inhales make my ears ring in elation. Her voice creates such a melody for my ears that I wish it would never disappear. I have an unhealthy addiction to Ruby, and the scary part is I find nothing wrong with that.

"I . . . I want to try something a bit different . . . i-is that okay?" She asks with a lot of hope and hesitation in her voice. She has a habit of exaggerating certain things out of fear, and I am sure that whatever it is will be nothing as far-fetched as her tone and courtesy to question lead out to believe.

"You don't need to ask me, Dolt." I whisper between kisses.

"Y-You're sure?" She asks again, and while it is sweet of her to be this considerate. It is also unfortunate that her consideration is prolonging our quest towards intimacy. To answer her question, I pull away from her neck and look into her beautiful, sparkling eyes.

"Ruby . . ." I sigh, tightening my grip on her hips so I can push her off me to the side and roll over onto her, switching positions with her completely. ". . . Shut up."

I whisper, resting my forehead on hers. Our eyes are still locked onto each other, although with every blink our eyes stay closed longer.

"As you wish, Princess." She whispers to me once both of our eyes are closed.

Not so soon after, I am treated to the soft touch of her lips on mine. The earlier feelings of passion and need filling my mind and body with intensified urges. My needs are amplified when her left hand runs over the back of my right thigh and caresses it with a gentle touch that radiates love and compassion. The slow exhale through my nose accompanied by a long, strained hum works its intended effect, and encourages her to slide her hand underneath my skirt. Her curious fingers run over the lace outline of my pantie leg, tracing the soft, porous fabric.

The urge to move my hips is overbearing. And when I finally succumb to the urge I manage to move just in sync with her to get three of her fingers to slide up the leg of my underwear to touch the bare flesh of my rear. I'm elated to see a positive reaction from her, and as quick as her hand pulls out from the leg of my panties, both hands slide underneath from the top to take a grip of each cheek and knead it in her grasp.

The caressing and fondling becomes too much to endure while maintaining the kiss, resulting in me breaking our airtight tongue tangling tonsil tango. I look down at Ruby who gives me one of her goofiest smiles. I don't realize it until now, but my lips are parted just barely, my eyes are half open, and it is possible my facial expression is one I would never wish to repeat to any other set of eyes.

I readjust myself and lower my lips to her ear while putting me in a prime position to grind my still-covered gender over her my skirt and her thigh. Through impatience and arousal from having my soft callings of her name and pleads for her to continue, she pulls my panties down just far enough to expose my pale flesh in its entirety. The touch of her hands, now unrestricted by movements cause my panties to dampen even further, and start to stain my snow-white intimates until the dampness becomes too focused and begins to seep onto my skirt.

Ruby catches on quickly to my movements, and lifts her thigh to help increase the friction without me needing to spread my legs further and put myself into a slightly uncomfortable position. The grip on my ass soon turns into a firm press that shoves my lower body down into a commanding grind against her thigh. Ruby seems unsatisfied however, and goes the extra step of impatiently unzipping my outfit and skirt to slide the dress down to my ankles without pulling me off of her, and leaves me the work of alternately lifting my legs until the dress-combat skirt combination is completely removed from my body; leaving me in my white, lace-outlined top, and matching panties (with exception to the ever growing damp spot in the center).

"Roll over, Princess." Ruby whispers into my ear.

Her voice is sweet as always, but there is a slight undertone that expresses her words as a command instead of a request. While I am not one that is adept at taking orders, I steal a few more grinds against her thigh before complying (with extreme reluctance) to her command. I am unsatisfied to see her stand up and leave me unattended with my desires burning through me, and making an example of my clothing (quite literally). My begrudging attitude is soon discarded at the sight of my Crimsoness (if I can even call her that with the white tips she shows off) making short work of removing her outfit; leaving her in a bra that is majorly black with a crimson outline, and panties that are black with a crimson heart sitting in the center, a dampened spot evident in the center of said heart.

She stands in front of me, extending both of her hands out for me to grab. I reach out, interlacing my digits with hers under the expectation that she will collapse on the mattress with me, however it is quite the opposite result and leaves me frustrated even further. Ruby pulls me up to a sitting position at the end of the bed before turning around and swaying her hips in a way I never knew she was quite capable of.

I stare at the black panties that cover my girlfriend's shapely, prime, and perfect posterior. Just when I think her tastefully teasing hip sway is over, she widens her stance a bit to bend over and flaunt her features even more. I sit still, jaw dropped and amazed at how captivating she is capable of being, and further lose myself to the growing fog of my mind at the sight of her thumbs sliding into the back of her underwear as the begin slowly tugging down the cloth. The pace she adopts so is painful to the eye, and is possibly even slower than Yang's mental capacity.

I stare with strained breaths of air, waiting for the cloth to pull low enough to show me Ruby's most intimate and glistening area. I want to reach out and tear the fabric away to display my impatience, but I believe it will be worth the wait. Her inching eventually exposes half of her cheeks to me, leaving my patience to wear thinner in even proportion to how much is left to tug away. At some point Ruby lowers her head to gaze at my flustered face from between her legs, and even has the audacity to send a wink in my direction.

_Ruby Rose you tease!_

I shout through the sanctuary of my mind into my diary of internal thoughts and desires. Throughout this entire time I have pictured over a hundred different situations I could see Ruby like this with, and some so bizarre that I have become frightened with myself. My thoughts lead me from the most basic of vanilla intimacy, to the minor sadistic twist of sending an ear-shattering smack to the flaunted cheeks.

However, my darker, deeper thoughts find myself imagining a bound Ruby Rose, held in that position through an intricate series of knots that cascade over her form, leaving her immobile and subject to anything I wish to do to her without so much as a complaint . . . or rather unable to complain due to my damp and soiled underwear stuffed into her adorable mouth. As I said, my thoughts intimidate me at the full detail I am able to sprout in a millisecond, while still being capable of having that image memorized fully, and burned into my subconscious mind.

I shake my head, reverting back to the reality in front of me, that being my beloved Rose. My eyes scan how much more she has exposed to me during my frightful experience within my mind, and unfortunately she has not progressed much. My impatience gets the best of me, but I decide to follow it through a more graceful method to follow the mood and tempo she is setting for us.

I place my hands on the concave curve of Ruby's hips, admire the slender, yet perfectly natural arc of her body. My grip startles her into taking her hands from her panties to place on the floor below her and assure her balance is kept. My lips soon make contact with one of her soft cheeks, and the tensing of her body leaves me in debate as to whether she enjoys a lip-to-body contact we have never explored before.

My first kiss turns into a peppering barrage that leaves a trail leading down to her thigh, or more importantly her lingering underwear that is stuck to her thighs and sex with thanks to the material being far too saturated with her sweet stinking nectar. I make a successful attempt at biting the edge of the fabric, managing to tug it down quite ways before needing to release. With the soaked cloth below my nose, I get a strong inhale of her desires and need. The concentrated scent that is released leaves my head in a spinning sensation of amazement and confusion.

Compared to the intimate conclusion to our prom night, this scent pales in comparison. I am careful with bringing a hand away from her hip to tug down the other end of the fabric I have come to hate, until I am able to get a clear sight of her glistening gender. The slightly puffed lips scream for my attention, and the bedside lamp makes her thighs glisten in such a way that I am unsure which twinkles more: her eyes, or her thighs after a heavily anticipated arousal.

"St-stop staring, Weiss." Ruby whispers to me. Almost immediately I lean back to peek between her legs and shoot a disapproved look at her which she makes note of immediately and hushes. She has kept me waiting far too long, and I plan on looking at her now exposed bit for as long as I desire, regardless of her comfort on the matter.

Of course I do not plan on sitting here and staring between her spread legs until day break; I have a much more creative move at hand. I place my hands on the front of her thighs to assure her balance will be kept, and without taking a moment to think I lean forward, pressing my lips to her nethers and extend my tongue to taste her sweet nectars. I am far more pleased with the shriek of enjoyment she releases in comparison to her addictive taste. I forgot just how amazing her lovejuice can be, but the addictive qualities of it return to me immediately.

I find myself with my lips buried between her legs, constantly lapping at her insides with the slightly audible sounds I am capable of hearing, which are created by a mixture of my saliva-slickened tongue, and her drenched love tunnel that grasps and pulls at my wet muscle without fail. Her approval is further noted with each buck of her hips, complimented with exhaled whispers of my name, and constant, adorable badgering for more.

Just as I am getting lost in her taste, she abruptly stands upright and pushes me back onto the bed. I am becoming far more annoyed at her horrible timings for interruptions, and if she has the audacity to do such a thing to me once more I won't hesitate to put one of the images in my head to good use.

From above the valley of my relatively small breasts I see Ruby turning around with lust-filled eyes. I have never known the look of lust, but at first glance it becomes apparent that it is a look deemed unexplainable, but known at the instance of its appearance. My now impatient leader grabs the white material that is still hugging my ass and thighs, and pulls it off without missing a beat. I assist her endeavors by propping my upper body on one elbow to allow me just enough room to reach behind my back and unclasp my bra. I toss the unstrapped, useless material somewhere across the room to join the scattered articles of clothing that decorate the wooden floor. Ruby mirror's my actions and discards her own bra quickly, finally crawling onto the bed to begin adjusting me into a position she desires.

I watch in deep interest as I am almost turned sideways while she hauls my left leg over her shoulder. I am still unsure of what she is doing, but her positioning of placing her knees in either side of the leg that is resting on the bed makes it apparent as to what her motives for this position are.

"Is this what you meant by something different?" I ask with clear eagerness, impatience, and desire all spitting from my lips.

"I . . . I'm curious." Ruby answers simplistically; and while I would love to argue with her about the matter, she is right in being curious. Things like this are something to be explored and experimented with, and I have no problem with Ruby wanting to experience something new with me . . . ESPECIALLY with it being included in our slowly growing intimate lives.

"Dolt." I respond with a smile, and a shake of my head. It is such a Ruby Rose answer, that I even mange to wonder how her childish mindset and answer has brought us into this current position. My momentary wonder is cut short to the feeling of her slickened flesh meeting mine. It's a different feeling that makes me burn with need. The first impact and gentle grinding of her hips elicits a moan from the two of us that are matched with near perfect pitch. Ruby's small, undefined arms wrap around my calf, keeping my leg captive as well as my dripping sex exposed for more of her firm grinding and thrusts against me.

There is a moment when I focus in on the messy sounds of our juices mixing together with each movement. I am amazed to still feel friction with how slick our thighs are, along with how pleasurable this is, despite the lack of penetration from Ruby's fingers, or her talented tongue. As the seconds of her sensual grinding turns into minutes, I become lost in time. The only thing I am aware of is how loud I am getting, and that is completely beyond my control at this point.

I can't stop myself from screaming for more, or crying out Ruby's name with every ounce of compassion that is contained within my body. Ruby and I have succumbed to our lust, yet when our eyes meet they radiate a compassion that far surpasses the strength of any lust filled night. Our bodies burn with the need for orgasm, but our minds scream for each other.

My breathing becomes ragged, exposing my quickly nearing orgasm while Ruby still shows little to no signs of peaking. I don't wish to meet an untimely release, and instead use the leg on her shoulder to push her down to the side while also grasping her arms, letting me yank the now whining form next to me, making her displeasure to me stopping her known.

Ruby puffs her cheeks, looking at me with an expression that radiates disapproval, however it disappears with the use of my index and ring fingers to spread her lips apart, and my middle finger sliding into her slick honeypot before being accompanied by my index finger to assist the shallow entry.

"Last thing I want is to have a short fuse in comparison." I admit shamelessly.

". . . Weiss" Ruby whispers in a hushed tone, too far gone to my apparently well done finger work. I curl my free arm underneath her head, pulling her lips to my neck to keep her moans muffled and controlled. The vibrations of her vocal cords leave a ticklish feeling in my neck with her suppressed moans. My constantly moving digits soon earn me the reactions I've been wanting to see. Ruby's thighs close, snapping around my hand beyond her usual control. Her hips and back start to spasm and quake while I maintain my same pace that turns into a relentless tempo with my disregard for her clear signs of orgasm.

The deepest smiles of satisfaction coat my lips as my name is muffled and screamed into my neck through Ruby's lips. It's such an addicting sound that I refuse to pause my assault until her body grows weak. I want her to keep screaming my name until her voice grows hoarse. My pace remains the same, never altering or wavering despite her thighs clenching around my hand even tighter than before. Her legs shake and kick, accompanied by one hand desperately trying to move my fingers out of her to no avail.

". . . This is what you get for teasing me Ruby Rose." I whisper with honey dipped words that radiate affection, although I will admit that this is more to fulfil my needs to know just how far past the edge I am capable of bringing her. Her unrestrictive moaning continues, however the spasms along her body stop, and with them I slow my pace to a crawl before withdrawing my drenched fingers. I can't help but smile at Ruby's drenched sheets, and thighs while I bring my glistening fingers to my lips to clean them of her sweet taste.

I feel a stillness in Ruby's form next to me that is almost lifeless. I worry that I may have pushed her too far over the edge and gently push her head from my neck to observe her tear-stricken face that stares straight through me. I feel my heart drop that my selfish act backfires, but Ruby's recovery from her mind wandering jolts her into reality to see my worried expression.

"That . . . was just . . ." She completes the broken sentence with a loud sigh and a smile that coats her lips. I am glad to know that I brought her above and beyond the normal expectation, however it appears that hell has no fury like a Ruby scorned.

As quick as I am to relax, is as quick as I make a major mistake in my judgment and awareness. I have not had my orgasm yet, and Ruby is far beyond aware of that fact, and she plans on paying back my unrelenting affections tenfold.

My eyes widen to feel something thin and slick enter me, and after my initial back arch and gasp I look down to see Ruby has just slipped two fingers into me. I change my attention to Ruby's face which still radiates a daydream state to the recovering high of her orgasm, yet there is also a somewhat evil expression that makes my heart skip upon noticing it.

"You know I . . . I love you . . . right, Weiss?" Ruby pants out, closing her eyes to focus primarily on her breathing to get her heart rate slowed.

"And I love you, Ruby Rose." I answer with a kiss to her forehead.

"Good . . . then . . . relax." Are her last three words. The way she whispered them makes me a bit edgy, and I am soon made to realize what she meant by those words.

Her fingers begin to build a slowly growing pace to rival what I was doing earlier. Two fingers sliding in and out of me at shallow entry each time. It is nothing too intense, and is a perfect balance between pleasure and speed. I lay my head down next to hers, keeping my eyes closed and lips parted to let my approval be heard by her. Ruby's arm slides underneath my neck as I had done to her in order to keep her muffled, and I am quickly pulled into the same position.

". . . May want to hold on tight, Princess." Ruby speaks in a way that practically mimics and mocks my earlier tone. My eyes widen when her fingers make a drastic increase in pace that makes me feel like there is some sort of massive vibration shooting through my body. I can feel the tensing in my thighs that makes them snap shut due to the sharp increase in sensitivity throughout my body.

The vibrations continue, and as per Ruby's advice I wrap my arms tightly around her to latch on. My moans soon turn to mindless screams that are near impossible for me to contain with my lips muffled to Ruby's flesh. As I choke on the lack of air, I pull from her neck to try to pull in sharp inhales to counter the massive discarding of precious oxygen with each scream I make. With my lips away from Ruby's neck I am in a position that I can peek down and see what it is that is vibrating so much, and a brief sight brings me to the realization that Ruby is using her semblance in a way that I deem far beyond creative and appropriate.

Within the next few seconds my lips bury back against her neck and shoulder, followed by a gentle biting into her shoulder blade to assist in keeping me quiet (which has possibly been very poor to say the least).

The orgasm I put Ruby through that I imagined to be breathtaking, based on her aftermath facial expressions completely pales to what she is putting me through now. I can feel the constant drenching of her digits that make my thighs a stickier mess than they already were prior. My own ears implode from my screams, and to make matters worse (or better depending on the viewpoint) Ruby refuses to stop. I am left a mindless wreck, uttering words and phrases that are probably from an old forbidden language I never knew existed. Without Ruby's fingers altering their pace, I throw my head back and scream out a guttural sound that belongs more to an animal than a person. My vision flashes white, and I can hear nothing but a deafening ringing in my ears. As my sight fades back to the darkened room, the strong spasms and quakes that constantly erupted through my body begin to die down through pure fatigue, and just as I did to her, she slows to a stop after seeing my body's inability to handle anymore.

"Better, Princess?" She asks, although upon hearing her question it takes me far too long to decipher its meaning, and when I do I am incapable of responding for practically a minute.

". . . DOLT" I cough out, tossing my head onto her shoulder and looking down at her withdrawing fingers. Once her fingers are out, my eyes widen at the slight crimson tint to them, and the jerk in her head I can feel from her shoulder lets me know she sees the same sight.

"W-Weiss!?" She shouts, startled at what she is seeing, but I quickly turn my head to kiss her cheek and attempt to calm her.

"Relax . . . I-I think you . . . popped it." I state with a complete loss for other or better words. My cheeks flush a dark red, and Ruby's do the same when she turns her head to make eye contact with me.

"You mean I just . . ." She begins and I look away to hide my face in expectation of her finishing the embarrassing statement and discovery.

"G-G-Go wash up . . . NOW" I shout at her before she can continue. At my sudden change in tone she stands up and goes into her drawer to pick up a random pair of shorts to enter the hallway with.

I look around the room, then on the bed to spot my cotton-white panties that I quickly grab and fold in a way that the dry ends are mainly what's exposed. I place the clothing between my thighs and trap it there, with the thought in mind that I will discard of them completely in the morning, and in fact it may be better to grab a shower now.

I stand up from the bed after sitting still for several seconds. I let the completely soiled clothing fall from between my thighs as I stand, and make my way to the door; I open it to see Ruby standing there with her hands clean, but still wet. She took surprisingly long with washing her hands despite the bathroom being just down the hall.

"W-Where are you . . . going, Weiss?" She asks with fear in her eyes and worry in her voice.

"To shower . . . I feel sticky." I answer, simply, but when I go to walk past her, Ruby blocks me and backs me into the room before closing the door and locking it once more.

"You . . . can't." She whispers, pushing me to the bed while I still try to walk past her, although my weak legs makes it hard to fight.

"And why not!?" I whine, not wanting to fall asleep with this sticky feeling all over my thighs and pelvis.

"Umm . . . Yang and Blake are well . . . soapy . . . I went to the kitchen to wash my hands." She explains, and I need no further explanation than that. I wouldn't even dare to check later if they were done in fear of what I may possibly see.

"Note taken . . . I suppose I'll do so in the morning." I sigh, backing up until I am sitting on the bed as Ruby hops over me to lay near the wall. "I'll also be replacing your sheets . . . and burning these."

"Why?" She asks me, but a focused stare as a response is all she needs to drop the subject.

"Well . . . It didn't hurt." I whisper, inching myself closer to Ruby who grasps my left hand and interlaces our fingers before surprising me with her red shoelace that disappeared earlier. She makes a loose, but firm knot to keep our wrists and hands together, which makes me roll my eyes at how cute, and Ruby Rose it is. "Should I even ask?"

"They say if you hold hands you'll have the same dream." She states with such positivity that I leave her hopes in the myth alive.

"Well, we'll see . . . tell me in the morning." I smile and close my eyes to fall asleep, along with Ruby who surprisingly goes quiet instead of whispering goodnight to me like she usually does.

* * *

I open my eyes to see Ruby centimeters from my face and snoozing up a minor storm.

_My dream was when we first met at the entrance to Beacon._

I whisper to myself to satisfy Ruby's thoughts of dream sharing to see if it's actually true. I immediately look over my shoulder to see the locked door, and hear some motion upstairs to which I assume is Blake tossing and turning in her bed, which she has done when her pillow's fluff has given out on her in the dormitory.

Immediately I divert my attention back to Ruby, and more specifically the shoelace bindings on my left wrist. Throughout the night it has held up, keeping our hands in place; although it is still pitch black outside, so it has possibly been only a few hours since our slightly startling ending to the night. Though that is more towards Ruby who most likely thought she scratched me.

I reach my right hand up, finding the knot she made and find it amazing how easy it is to pull out. Once the knot is removed by a series of gentle tugs, the shoelace loosens from around our wrists, and gravity allows the thread to fall away, freeing me from my sleeping girlfriend while I stand up and tiptoe to my nearby suitcase for a nightgown.

I throw it over me so I have something to walk down to the bathroom in, which I plan on doing so I can take a shower since I am more than certain that is the reason for me waking up so early in the morning. I peek over my shoulder towards Ruby while I walk to the door, smiling at how sweet and peaceful she looks while she sleeps.

_I'll be right back . . . don't wake up._

I think to myself, hoping she doesn't awake to my absence. I want her to keep sleeping peacefully, and me not being nearby should her eyes flutter open briefly may interrupt that. I look ahead to the door, turning the lock and the knob at almost the same time to open it. I walk out, deciding not to close the door in fear of making noise and waking her, so I simply continue down to the bathroom and close the door behind me. Surprisingly the bathroom light was on still.

I unpacked my toothbrush yesterday, and placed it in the medicine cabinet above the sink. I pull on the mirror to expose the hidden compartment behind it, and search along the top shelf for my ice-blue tooth brush, along with the toothpaste so I can give my teeth a quick brush to kill the lingering taste and scent of Ruby. While doing this I turn to the bathtub and begin running the water for a shower, noting that there is an extra towel on the nearby rack that I plan on using.

My impatience to get back to Ruby displays itself with my haste-filled brushing, followed by me tossing off my gown to get into the shower and give myself a thorough, but quick wash. I make sure I get every inch of my body, but do not spend the time to do a second lather as I would usually do. To avoid making noise I shut the shower off while it is still pouring from the shower head, then turn the middle knob to allow the water to drain from the bottom.

Drying myself proves to be an equally quick task that only leaves me with wet hair that I will allow to drip-dry while I sit at the edge of the bed for a bit in Ruby's room. I am elated at what happened a few hours earlier, especially the conclusion despite the slight awkwardness of it. Ruby is now undeniably established as my first, and nothing will change that. Just the mere thought that she popped my cherry brings a burning blush to my cheek that would put Yang's semblance to shame.

I pick up my nightgown from the ground and make short work in placing it on and walking back to the room in hopes of seeing Ruby's adorable sleeping face. Without Ruby I know I will feel lost. Throughout my heartless streaks she has stayed by my side, and has never once displayed an emotion of hate towards me; even when she is making a snarky comeback to my usual attitude. I don't know what I will do without her at my side, or should something happen to her.

I will most likely revert back to the heartless self she met our first day at Beacon, or probably worse than that. The outer shell I worked so hard and long to develop was melted by her long ago, and if it were to grow back it would be reinforced tenfold. Ruby by all means is the beacon of hope to my castle of ice.

She is my reason for aspiring to be better. With her I finally have a true drive to become a huntress that doesn't involve me wanting to go against my parents. I want to be stronger for her, and have a way of living a carefree life knowing that there will be nothing capable of harming her and I as an unstoppable duo.

Ruby Rose is the reason I can now love this ugly, yet beautiful world.

I smile, pulling the partially opened door and taking my first stride into the room, only to freeze when I see an empty bed and a wide open window. I stand jaw dropped and filled with fright to think that she is somewhere outside in the darkness of the night with nobody else with her. She's not here, and she would not leave by herself, or without Crescent Rose which is sitting in the corner of the room.

_Ruby . . . Ruby . . . Ruby . . . Ruby . . . Ruby . . . Ruby . . . Ruby_

My mind calls out for her, wishing she will be back where she belongs. Laying down in the bed just as I left her seconds ago.

_Who would want her? Why would anyone want her!?_

My heart rate picks up, and my paralysis begins to expire, and be replaced with more frantic thoughts.

**_"RUBY!" _** I scream at the top of my lungs, staring at the window and hoping she will come through it with a smile on her face.

**_"RUBY STOP MESSING WITH ME!" _** I scream a second time, my arms beginning to shake now as well. I don't know what to do but scream. I can't see at night, I'm no Faunus.

_Faunus . . . BLAKE!_

I turn around to dash for the attic, but upon my rotation and first step I bump into Yang who is looking at me with red eyes and moving lips, yet there are no words.

"Blake . . . I need Blake." I whisper between my swift pants, but Yang's lips continue to move, and now her hands are on my shoulders, shaking me as her words fall on literal deaf ears.

"Yang . . . I need Blake . . . let me go." I whisper again, trying not to think of where Ruby could be. I reach up to push her hands off of my shoulders while I attempt to walk past her, but she continues to block me. Her lip movements are now becoming more violent, and the warmth of her aura reminds me of Ruby's touch.

_Ruby . . ._

I make another attempt to push past Yang who takes the initiative to push me against a wall and lower herself to stare at me face to face. Her eyes try to pierce my stare with their lava red glare, but I don't want Yang . . . I want Ruby, and I need Blake.

"Let go." I command, but she continues to ignore me.

I bring my left hand up to her chest, trying to push her back to no avail. I continue, hoping she will get that this is getting nowhere, yet the stubborn barbarian continues to block me from getting to Blake.

"Yang . . . if you're not going to help . . . then you should just . . ." I fight to not finish that sentence. I don't want to think this way. I can't think straight. I can't hear. I can't imagine where Ruby could be. What if Torchwick has her? What if the White Fang has her? The possibilities are endless, and all I need is the help of the one person I can't reach. I keep trying to push Yang out of my way, as well as push my thoughts to the back of my mind, but both fail, and regrettably I finish my earlier sentence.

". . . **_STAY OUT OF MY WAY!" _**I scream, my left hand glowing a blinding white milliseconds before Yang goes flying back a short few feet into the wall on the other side of the hall, freezing in the structure, appearing to be stuck into it.

_Yang can heal fast . . . she'll be fine_

I conclude in my irrational state and continue down the hallway to see Blake standing halfway between me and Yang's doorway. A smile crosses my lips once I see her and I walk up to her with my left hand extended.

_I need her to come with me._

My smile however fades when she walks up to me, and suddenly delivers a swift chop to the side of my neck. I look at Blake's fearful face as I begin falling backwards, and at the same time the world fading to black.

My last thoughts of consciousness are of the only thing that could possibly bring me back to a glimpse of sanity upon my waking . . .

The safety of my Rose.


	65. Sutoroberī Panikku

**_Okay, so a few things I want to say. I actually realized last night that it has been 3 days since my last update so I decided to make sure I don't reach the fourth day.  
_**

**_With that being said, this chapter is not long, but it is not long more because of the POV being used. I do not want to progress too far with this POV, since we all know the more dramatic stuff rests with our trio :P_**

**_Second note, I will finally have Dying Light in 3 more days (Technically 2 days and a few hours, but whatever!) and I will most likely be streaming it on Thursday Night :D Just throwing that out there incase anyone is interested in the game :D_**

**_Third Note: I've had people say to me (and this is not me complaining, this is me asking for opinions) that my slow pace and going through a situation in the same POV gets a bit annoying and bothersome since it takes forever for things to progress. I do see the point in that, but I think my POV changes are one of the high points, and putting a more thorough development on things. What do you guys thing?_**

**_Fourth Note: . . . Just to build suspense: I already have the first death in this series planned, and already know who it is, how it will happen . . . and all I need is to think of whose POV to use . . . beware._**

**_Anyway :3 Enjoy the chapter! Make sure you review, and all that other stuff :D_**

* * *

**_POV: RUBY ROSE_**

**_Chapter 65 – _****_ストロベリー・パニック_**

"Sorry? Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused!?" I look up at an angry girl, bent over to lessen the distance between our gazes. Thanks to Yang's swift departure with her friends a few seconds ago, she left me dizzy and spinning, and now I just bumped into a bag-cart thingy, leaving several white suitcases scattered around me, and in this awkward predicament

I begin getting a better view at my verbal attacker. Her outfit is predominantly white, with red being present on the inside of her bolero jacket. The disapproving frown across her lips makes me feel an odd sensation in my chest. I take notice of the weapon hilted on her left hip, and also recognizing she is favoring a combat skirt just like me. I can't help but to analyze the curve of her hips that are revealed by the slightly clinging outfit she is wearing.

_She . . . she's beautiful . . . Don't mess this up Ruby! You can still make a good impression!_

"Uh . . ." I look at my side to find a suitcase that I immediately hold out in front of me in hopes of her relaxing so I can try to speak, unfortunately I get the opposite reaction and have the suitcase snatched from me.

"Gimme that! This is DUST. Mined and purified from the Schnee Quarry." She looks so attractive, and the side-ponytail of hers is a bit odd of a style to go with, but it fits her nonetheless.

"Uh . . ." I stammer again, not knowing what to say that could hopefully rebuild the fragile ice lake I am standing on so I can break it again with some awesome conversation. Okay, that was a bad metaphor.

"What are you? Braindead? DUST. Fire, water, lightning . . . ENERGY"

While she speaks I force myself to look away from her eyes to give me enough of my attention back to begin standing up. She's been shaking this red vial so violently in her hand. Actually, I think the lid came slightly loose because I can feel myself inhaling some of it with a sneeze working its way up.

"Are you even listening to me!? Is any of this sinking in!?"

She continues to scold me, although I can't even acknowledge to her that I am listening since I keep trying to fight off the oncoming sneeze. Finally my effort proves to be in vain when I give a sharp exhaled followed by my high pitched 'achoo!' that is drowned out by a mild explosion that takes place in front of me. I go wide eyed, watching the debris cleared to expose a less than amused.

"Unbelievable! This is the exact thing I was talking about!" She continues on, and out of a defensive reflex I answer back, hoping to get the conversation leveled.

"I said I was sorry, Princess!" I look at her with a firm stare, seeing the look in her eyes soften, which puts a simmer of hope within me with the expectation of being able to have a more relaxed conversation than a one-sided lecture.

Aside from her hostility, she is very pretty, a sweet voice, and I just love her eyes! If I can just get a chance to show her that I am a capable fighter, I am sure she will acknowledge me as being fit for Beacon.

* * *

I begin fighting myself, becoming aware that I am within my own dream world, and enter the battle that some go through when they are aware that they are sleeping and just want to wake up. It's a brief fight, succumbing to my victory when the world around me begins to shake and quake. Soon enough my vision of Weiss fades, and I am left with the darkness of my eyelids as a replacement.

_The first time we met! I just know Weiss had the same dream!_

I smile to myself, opening my eyes in hopes of seeing that Weiss is awake, but instead I am treated to the darkness of my room, and a set of eyes piercing me through the darkness until I feel a sharp pain in the side my neck and I am sent back into my dreamworld.

_ . . . Weiss?_

* * *

"I have her here. Of course I am going to- What do you mean!? Why would I want to go there after all you've done for me here? Of course I think it would be amazing, but how would I even get in? . . . WHAT!? You expect me to waltz in under being that sort of replacement!? I'll get chewed up in seconds, especially since I'm a Faunus!"

I begin to fidget around, feeling a soft cushioning below me that is far better than my bed. The last thing I recall seeing are the bright, multi-colored hues of orange eyes, and a stare that felt like would kill me if I kept looking even a second longer.

"No, Sir . . . Of course I am grateful, but I do not think the other three would be too keen on it . . . Even if I plan on competing in Vale, I don't think that is a proper reason to go there. All things considered, I am still lacking the proper combat training. I may be older than them, but I have little to no experience against anything that isn't human or Faunus . . . I am grateful! Stop making me say that! I owe you everything I have, regardless of how much you say I earned this myself. I am just not cut out for something like that. Not to mention how weird it would be if I went at my age."

I open my eyes, hearing the familiar voice continue to converse with what seems like herself, but with the meat of the conversation gathered, I draw a conclusion that there is someone else nearby that is probably talking really low, or the conversation is being carried over through a cell phone. I am in a large room, practically doubled the size of my living room, and I become slightly panicked at the realization that I am not in my own home.

I look around the room, seeing that I am laid down on a pull-out queen sized mattress. The couch that the mattress has been pulled out from is set against a corner of the room. I am laying down properly in the mattress, with my head towards the couch portion, and my feet towards the end of the bed. I sit up after seeing that the person who is talking is not nearby, but is somewhere else within the house.

To my left is a wood-textured wall with black stripes vertically painted in several different distances apart until the pattern begins to repeat and continue all around the room. Along the wall and at the foot of the bed is a heavily tinted window. To my right, along the wall behind me is another heavily tinted window that is roughly about 10 meters from me, and it was in the middle of the wall.

The room I am in is very large, intimidatingly large, although it feels like the structure for the house is the same as mine. Diagonally ahead of me and to the right (also directly across from the window behind me) is a slim doorway that leads out into a hallway. Peeking through the doorway from my angle doesn't reveal anything aside from a white, bland wall of the outside hallway.

"I can't be anybody's replacement! I'm scared of them! . . . I . . . I'm not saying you have bad judgment. I just don't- . . . Okay . . ."

I hear a loud sigh and the beeping sound of a device being hung up. I know the voice from somewhere, but I just can't remember at the moment. It is someone I have spoken to before, but I guess not often enough. If I've heard the voice before, then it has to be someone I would know by sight, right? And if I can't remember who the voice is specifically, then it is not anybody that would harm me, 'cause I would definitely know the voice of anyone suspicious or dangerous!

I nod my head to my resolve, although I am still quiet and cautious while I climb off of the bed. My feet touch the floor, and I realize I am barefoot. The thought of nothing on my feet brings me to the realization that I was only in shorts at my house, yet now I am awake here in shorts, a T-shirt, and my running sneakers are in the corner of my room. Things are only getting more confusing, and now I come to realize the weight of the situation at hand.

Whoever it is that was just speaking abducted me from my home, and on top of that probably saw Weiss naked! . . . That is a crime that will not go unpunished! I am the only one who gets to stare at Weiss' snow-white skin . . . wait . . . I was taken away from Weiss . . . NAKED WEISS!

I clench my teeth and reach above the head of the bed out of instinct, but freezing when I realize yet again that I am not in my room, and my Sweetheart is not with me.

_Damnit . . What am I supposed to do now!? Ugh . . . I need to get out of here._

I look over at both of the windows, noting that they are not the type that could be opened, and are just sitting there for decoration, and still I wonder why the hell they are tinted!

"Ruby, I hear the floor creaking. It's Shun, get down here." The same voice calls out, and I freeze when I hear who it is.

_Why am I in Shun's house? Wait, is this her house? Oh my god, did she kill my attacker!?_

I worry for what may be downstairs, and dash out the doorway to see that the structure of the house is somewhat like mine. From where I exit would be the same as the door to Yang's room, and instead of there being three bedrooms upstairs, there are only two. The one I was just in taking the space of Yang's bedroom, and Dad's bedroom. At the end of the hallway to my right I can see a door at the end of the hall which would normally be my room if I was in my own home.

I feel a bit more at ease to know the structure of the house is identical to mine, and I go down the steps carefully with a bit more ease. At the bottom of the steps I cross the hallway into the living room to see Shun is sitting down watching the Vale news.

"Sorry for the kidnapping, Kid . . . orders are orders." She sighs, taking a sip from a can of soda.

"Orders? What do you mean orders? Nobody should be able to come into my home and carry me out when I am only in shorts! Especially when I am-" I pause, realizing that Weiss may not have been laying with me, otherwise she would have woken up or something while I was somehow being moved.

"What? Cuddling with your lover? She was in the bathroom . . . and yeah, 'orders'. Don't even ask by who, can't tell you . . . again, 'orders'. Look, I can't tell you much, Kid but there are three conditions you will be following . . . and if you disobey them . . . I won't hesitate to command obedience." Shun's looks at me with a focused stare. The narrow pupils and orange hue making me realize that those are the eyes I was staring at through the darkness. Her gaze never falters, and my arms begin to shake. There is no aura that is stronger than Uncle Qrow's, and after a while his aura never bothered me, so why should hers?

". . . Am I clear Ruby? If you don't understand, I will put it in one other way . . . If you try to run . . . I won't hesitate to slice your Achilles . . . If you try to crawl, I will slice your deltoids . . . If you try to scream, I will break your jaw . . . If you become too much of a burden . . . I won't hesitate to kill" The look in her eyes intensifies, and I can practically see a dark aura surround her. She flashes a toothy grin that flaunts her fangs, and I realize that the reason I am scared is because I can sense the intent to kill without hesitation.

I find myself slowly nodding my head, and with a friendly and satisfied smile she gestures me to sit on the two-person love seat on the spot to her left, which I do although slightly hesitant.

"Glad that was sorted out. Now, on to the three conditions. First one: You will be training with me every day. No exceptions."

"That . . . doesn't sound that bad, actually." I answer, and I can hear her let out a momentary chuckle.

"That's what I like to hear. Condition Two: You may not tell anybody where you are or who you are with . . . No exceptions, and that will come with communication restrictions via scrolls and phones, and whatever else." She reaches an arm around me and yawns, still watching the TV. I give her an odd look when she does so, and she spots it out the corner of her eye. "Relax, I'm not advancing. You're just the perfect height for an arm rest."

"Okay . . ." I pause, realizing something about her second condition. "Wait! What about Weiss!? Blake? Yang?"

"That leads me to Condition 3: I will let you make a restricted call out to them . . . I have Yang's number. Seem fair?"

"No . . . I want to go home." I sigh, then suddenly feel something getting attached to my right wrist. I look down to see that it is something like Uncle Qrow's devices, but it has a different design and look to it.

"If you wander too far from me, that will drain your aura instantly and leave you immobilized. I probably don't need that . . . but it would be a pain to have to chase you down. You're fast . . . but you're still slightly slower than me, even with your semblance." She takes a deep breath, and stands up, raising the can above her head to chug it down, making me realize she is drinking a Monster Energy, not a soda.

"You're into that too? Yang drinks it all the time." I say, trying to make some sort of conversation to break the awkwardness. I am not fond of being here, away from Yang, Blake . . . and of course my beautiful girlfriend, but at the same time I guess I should be grateful that I am not with someone I don't know about. I doubt Shun would kill me, despite the feeling I got earlier . . . if that was the case, then why would she put something non-lethal like this on my wrist? I also find it odd that she would have something that I can tell was designed by Uncle Qrow.

"I got Yang into this. I'm surprised she still drinks it . . . I always tell her it's unhealthy." Shun sighs, leaving the room for a moment and returning shortly after with the lack of the can.

"If you know it's unhealthy…"

"There's a point in your life when you worry more about others than you do yourself. Call me a hypocrite."

"Hypocrite."

"Hey! Let's not forget who kidnapped who, alright?" She sits back down on the chair with me and goes back to looking at the TV. "Look, I'll let you call as much as you like, as long as we are not training . . . and you don't burn out my battery. You aren't in any danger . . . I just have an oddball for an employer, and lastly . . . You gotta tell me how you tamed that Ice Queen of yours."

"Okay, okay, and hell no." I look at her with squinted eyes.

"Come on . . . Sorry to say, but I doubt she is the most social person in the world . . . if you can tell me how you got her, then it will make my life a lot easier." Shun says in such a bland tone, but I feel like she is completely serious when she says that.

"I don't even know how I got her to be honest . . . It just . . . happened." I explain, thinking about how slow my relationship with Weiss developed.

". . . She probably has a Lolita complex." Shun folds her arms and nods her head at her own reasoning.

"A lollipop complex?"

". . . You don't watch a lot of anime do you?" Shun sighs and reaches to the side of the chair to find her scroll and place it on her lap. "I'm going to show you an anime that will pretty much sum things up."

I roll my eyes, realizing that Shun and Blake would probably get along perfectly through their love of anime. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy it, but only because Blake picks out the ones she knows I will like. She could watch any genre, but I am super picky about the art styles, too.

"And what's the name of it?"

"Sutoroberī Panikku"

"What?" I ask. The way she said it had a very thick accent to it, yet it still felt like it was being said in English.

"Strawberry Panic."


	66. Before Dawn

Okay guys, I know this was a bit more delayed than the other chapters . . . That College life though!

Okay . . . Maybe I could have had this chapter out earlier . . . but at the same time now I can set my new deadline for the weekend since I plan on streaming Dying Light on Twitch tonight :3 (8PM) If you want to watch, send me an inbox and I'll send you my username!

If I catch a crapton of Guest reviewers asking for my Twitch name, then I'll revise the Author's Note to include that information. Anyway, this is a plot-builder's chapter and also one of those 'Meanwhile at some other location' sort of chapters, so don't expect _too_ much progression. You guys know how I do things by now :)

Send me your reviews as always! Remnant knows I need it! . . . I am too use to using Remnant instead of God .

* * *

**_POV: BLAKE BELLADONNA_**

**_Chapter 66 – Before Dawn_**

"I really don't think it was necessary to go that far, Yang." I roll my eyes as Yang puts up the finishing touches on her multitude of knots.

"She completely stone-walled me and looked like she was going to bite your head off or something!" Yang shouts in return. She takes one more look at her knotting work, which she used with a combination of my black ribbons, and a pair of handcuffs she had in her closet; which she has yet to explain her reason for owning.

"Seriously? I knocked her out to give her a chance to cool off. I think tying her down would make her panic when she wakes up. She may think she's being kidnapped or molested or something, you should leave that to Ruby."

"I'd prefer not to think my sis knows ANYTHING about BDSM." Yang emphasizes.

Currently we, or she I should say has Weiss bound to her bed. Weiss was set down on her back, handcuffed, and had her legs tied together; which are also tied to one of the posts at the foot of the bed. It's very shoddy, and pretty amateur knotting, but I rather not get involved and have Yang questioning me as to how I am capable of tying professional, and very intricate looking knots; nor do I prefer to specify now.

"She _does_ live with you . . . I wouldn't be surprised." I roll my eyes and take a seat on the floor, laying my back against the bed. Yang does the same after making sure her knotting is secure enough for her standards.

"Hey! I watch what I do in front of my baby sis . . . and speaking of which we don't have time to be sitting around. We need to start seeing what is going on." Yang states and begins standing up, but I am slow to do the same; both out of laziness and finding it futile to rush. We are on an island that the White Fang would not visit, and any petty thief or kidnapper would rather ransom Ruby back to her parents than kill her. That doesn't mean I am not worried for her, but I am a bit more at ease to think she is not in any immediate danger; for now.

"Then start checking her room for anything. I'll check upstairs." I suggest. Yang quickly agrees with my decision making and disappears out of the room to go into Ruby's. I take a look at Weiss, checking the knots briefly to make sure they are not tight enough to cut off circulation, then make my way into the hallway to pull down the ladder and climb to the attic.

The first thing I take note of is the cold breeze I feel once I'm inside. It is far from being anywhere close to room temperature. I'd expect the attic to be warmer than downstairs, but right now, that is not the case at all. As I climb off of the ladder and onto the wooden floor, I look over to my bedding and immediately take note of two things. First off, the window I opened yesterday morning is open still. I forgot to close it last night, and there is little doubt in my head now that is where the kidnapper came in from.

The second thing I notice is my suitcase has been tampered with. I quickly run over and place my ear to the top. I am satisfied to not hear any form of ticking or moving device inside, and open it up to find something much more peculiar and odd: Gambol Shroud is missing.

_Okay . . . they came in through the roof and went downstairs to get Ruby? But what is the point of taking Gambol Shroud? . . . A random weapon that was hidden from sight; meaning they went out of their way to look for it, or maybe they just wanted to take any weapon they saw? Hm… _

I peek out the window, spotting a few odd marks on the outside windowsill that appear to resemble claws. I spot two pairs of four holes pierced into the windowsill. The piercings are clean cut, and from my observations are far from being anything organic, leaving the thought that they could possibly be from a device that could assist in climbing.

_Okay . . . so whoever it was either is not very physically fit, or was using something to simply get a better grip. This still doesn't make sense!_

"They came in through the window . . . took Gambol Shroud . . . took Ruby, and I am guessing left through her window. Weiss was clearly not in the room at the time . . . her hair was wet, so she was taking a shower . . . she got out the shower, and Ruby wasn't there so she snapped. Well . . . I don't know if they only took Gambol Shroud. I should check to see if Myrtenaster and Crescent Rose are still in the house, and if they are . . . then things will still be just as confusing as before."

I speak out loud to myself to help myself think, but it all comes back around to me not knowing anyone who would have a motive to kidnap Ruby. I take a deep breath and decide to climb down into the hallway to go into Ruby's room to see if Yang is having any luck.

After dropping down from the ladder I can see Yang through Ruby's open door, and she appears to be lost in a trance; her elbows planted on the window sill, her hands supporting her head, which is hanging out the window. I quietly walk into the room behind her and slide my arm around her waist without touching it, then in one quick motion I tighten my grasp, pull her in from the window and swing her onto Ruby's nearby bed that is to our left, pinning her to it with my arms on either side of her head.

"I'm not letting you jump . . . you don't land on your feet like me." I smile at her, although she does not seem too amused, even though I went so far as to make a joke about my Faunus nature . . . which is not something I do often.

"Actually, I saw like . . . claw marks on the windowsill . . . looked like they came from some sort of cat." She gestures to the window, although I am pretty sure I know exactly how they look.

"What, like a Puma?" I suggest, and after a quick ponder she thoughtfully nods her head in agreement.

"Yeah! There you go! . . . Wait, how'd you know?"

I sigh and take a seat on the window's edge, much to Yang's visual disapproval, but she should know that I am not so careless as to fall out of a window; even then I have the proper body control to catch myself on the way down and turn the fall into a safe landing with little effort needed on my part.

"Seems I left the attic window open . . . and that is how our mystery guest got in." I look out the window into the fading darkness of the outside world. The sun will be coming up soon, and while there are no signs of a sunrise yet, the dark is starting to yield and retreat.

"Wait . . . WHAT!?" Yang sits up and looks at me with an accusing stare, and rightfully so.

"I left the window open this morning . . . to air out the attic an-"

"Why would you need to air out the attic!? I mean, it's not like we- . . . oh…" Yang stops, realizing why I left the attic window open. She still has an accusing glare, but she whispered her last word in realization as to why it was open and she displayed a bit of understanding.

"Still, I climbed in through the window when we got back, so I should have closed it . . . by the way, is Crescent Rose here?" I ask, and begin to gaze around the room form my position in the windowsill.

"Yeah, in the corner." Yang gestures towards the far corner to the side of the room. To see where she is pointing, I need to lean in from the window and I see the compact form of Crescent Rose in the corner.

"Hm . . . Do you see Myrtenaster anywhere?" I ask as a follow up, although I answer my own question when I see Weiss' suitcase near the foot of the bed; the sharp tip of the rapier sticking out. "Forget it . . . it's here. This is odd."

"What do you mean?"

"Whoever came in took Gambol Shroud . . . they went out of their way to look for it, yet didn't take Crescent Rose which was in plain sight."

"Not to mention they did all this in pitch black darkness . . . I mean, who could even see anything out there? Especially the open window, even in broad daylight it's hard to tell if the window is open since it has to be pulled in . . . You'd need to have night vision to see that..." Yang's eyes widen at her own words, and mine do the same with most likely the same realization.

"A Faunus!" She shouts, and I whisper in unison; although there is a possibility it could be someone who could go through the expense of obtaining night vision goggles, although using them to kidnap a 16 year old girl seems pretty far-fetched to me.

"Okay . . . but even if it is a Faunus, it's not like that narrows it down any, Yang. At least for me that is. I only know of one Faunus in Patch, that being Shun of course . . . and I doubt she would have any reason to take Ruby. As a matter of fact, the only one that would possibly have any motivations are the White Fang, but they are not stationed in Patch." As I speak out loud, a thought crosses my mind. A thought crosses my minds that I hope Yang has not come ti, which would make me worry far more than I am already. If what I am thinking is a shared thought, then I would enter a mild panic.

"Blake . . ." Yang begins, and I look at her to see a concern in her face, which makes me begin to fear for the worst. I clench my fists and look down, ready to hear Yang finish the sentence. ". . . What if Hito _isn't_ through with the White Fang?"

_FUCK!_

". . . That still doesn't explain those marks; they are not from anything organic, and they look like they were left by a weapon. I don't want to suspect her just because she has a past history in the White Fang, Yang; you should understand that since you know me better than anyone." My defending of Shun gets a small nod from Yang. She goes quiet again to think, then without a word stands up and goes into the hallway. I decide not to crowd her and watch on from the window, seeing her pull down the ladder and disappear into the attic.

_I already told you what's up there, Yang. I don't understand why you need to go there._

I sit patiently against the window, folding my arms from the cold breeze that is pushing against me. It is cold outside, but at the same time I like the cold weather much more than being subjected to boiling heat; although I have found several exceptions to that since I have started dating Yang.

There is something about her abnormally warm body temperature that makes me feel far more relaxed and willing to sleep than usual, though it is no secret that heat usually provokes sleep, while cold does the opposite and would keep someone awake. Come to think of it, how is it even possible for Ruby to sleep next to Weiss? I've felt that girl's hands before . . . they are anything but toasty.

"Blake!" Yang calls out, although her tone was more to get my attention rather than calling me for an actual emergency. I stand up from the window and close it behind me before making my way into the hallway to climb up to the attic.

"What is it?" I ask while I am still climbing up, spotting Yang sitting on the bed with what appears to be a variation of Ember Celica.

"One of your old models, Yang?" I ask after standing up on the wooden floor and making my way to the bed to sit down. I look at the gauntlets while they are on her wrists; they have a worn down orange color, and minor rust from being subjected to the undoubted humidity of the attic, combined with the gauntlets not being put to use.

"Close . . . This is Hito's weapon . . . Hantākurō." Yang starts to move her fingers in various, awkward ways until she finally makes a gesture that seems to trigger the weapon. I watch as the gauntlets expand along her forearms just like her Ember Celica would, but they continue expanding to cover her hands in a rusted metal until her digits are covered and resemble animal claws.

"Blake . . ."

"What?" I answer, still looking at the clawed hands. I watch as Yang stands up and sits on the window frame to properly place her hands down into the holes in the windowsill.

". . . I think it was her."

"Yang, that proves nothing. Like you said, it's an _old_ weapon. Why would she remake the same thing? And why do you even have that up here?"

"I gave it to Ruby . . . Hito didn't want it after she got her final grade, and decided to give it to me . . . after we broke up I gave it to Ruby so she can practice her tinkering with it. It was before she became a Master Crafter with Crescent Rose." Yang explains, fighting with her fingers to discover the motion that makes the claws retract back into gauntlets, and then into bracers for her to remove and place on the bed.

"Yang, while I appreciate you accusing your Ex . . . truly, it warms my heart to see that you'd suspect her so quickly instead of pushing that aside to the back of your mind. I still am pretty skeptical about her being the culprit, what does she have to gain? I don't think she is part of the White Fang anymore . . . She has a certain confidence and passive nature that a White Fang member couldn't possess." I explain, then changing my thoughts to what we could do to find Ruby.

"I guess you're right . . . Let's check on Weiss. Blake, we need to go to town the moment daybreak hits. I can check with Angel, Brandon, and Ted to have them keep an eye out for her." Yang sighs and walks to the ladder with a deadened look to her movements. She is doing her best to keep calm, and is radiating worry. I know deep down she wants to blame me, and she should be giving me hell, but she doing her best to relax and maintain a rational state of mind. I guess she is trying not to lose a few screws like Weiss did earlier, although I think Yang wouldn't have a problem waking up to my knot work . . . Why do I think of this at such an odd time?

I give a small shake of my head to clear it of these thought and begin to make my way to the ladder as well. As I reach the opened hatch in the floor, Yang is just dismounting, but sees me and holds the ladder in place until I plant my foot onto it to avoid it rising up. While I'm climbing down she turns around and goes into her room; I follow seconds behind her.

I am not surprised to see that Weiss is still asleep in the darkness of Yang's room, although there is a light flashing in the corner from Yang's scroll which is now in the Blonde Brawler's hands.

"Who would text me at this hour?" She says out loud as she looks at the scroll. Her look shifts from annoyance, to surprise, then shock; finally she hands over the scroll to me with a dumbfounded smile across her face, and a relieved look in her eyes. I take the scroll from her and raise an eyebrow as I read a text message from a restricted number.

**_Unknown: Sis, Blake, Weiss, I'm okay. I'll call at sunrise, so keep the scroll nearby. I'm not in any danger, so relax (that's an order) . . . and tell Princess I miss her._**

_No doubt that's Ruby . . . only she would call Weiss 'Princess'._

"This is only getting weirder . . . so her kidnapper is letting her use a scroll? Yang, none of this makes sense . . . I am starting to think that this is some kind of sadistic prank." I look over at Yang who is still smiling to herself, clearly clinging to the thought that the text was, without a doubt, sent by her precious little sister.

"It doesn't make sense . . . but that has to be her . . . Ugh, I need to get to town and see if she's been there!" Yang sighs, snapping out of her stupor. She takes the scroll from me and immediately puts it back on the dresser.

"No . . . you need to stay here and keep that scroll at your side. I'll start walking to town and you can meet me there later." I command more than suggest.

"Why the hell would I do that, Blake? Last thing I need is you getting grabbed too! It's still pitch black out there!"

"Yang . . . your girlfriend is a Faunus . . . I can see in the dark. You can stay here with the scroll nearby and watch after Weiss, then ride Bumbleby to catch up. Make sense?" My explanation earns a series of nods from Yang, who is quick to walk to me and hug me in a rib-crushing embrace.

"You're the brains, and I'm the brawn! Just take your scroll, okay? When you get to town I want a message . . . Something . . . 'Blakey' so I know it's you." Yang's grip is killer, but her words are spoken in the softest tone I've ever heard from her. That concern and worry that disappeared from earlier returning, although now it is angled at my departure for the town.

"I'll be fine, Yang . . . I'll also take Crescent Rose with me . . . You never know if I'll catch Ruby out on the road . . . maybe I'll get to try out her 'Sweetheart' for myself." I tease, although the joke falls on the unamused ears of Yang who is actually being a mood killer for once, while I am the one trying to brighten things up.

"I'd trust you more with Ember Celica." She smiles faintly and keeps her death grip on my ribs. I try to pull away, but her hug only tightens and soon my face is lost into the vast, golden sea of her curly blonde hair. I keep my wiggling constant, trying to signal Yang that she is practically crushing me, but a soothing whisper into my ear freezes me completely.

"Just be safe . . . Knowing you're alright is the only thing keeping me from going 'Supernova' . . . I love you." Yang's words drive themselves deep into my heart, and I can't help but to return her hug; surprising her with a quick peck. Although I add a moderate head butt to break the romancing moment.

"That's for thinking there is even a chance I'd get caught by someone who has to resort to kidnapping a sixteen year old at night." I express dissatisfaction in the form of an unamused stare, although Yang has officially had her first romantic moment without trying to. "Also . . . I love you too."

"Yes! How much!?"

". . . Don't push it."

"Aw, come on! Let me milk this!"

". . . You said milk because I have cat ears."

"Yes . . . Yes I did."

I sigh, both out of happiness and annoyance. It is good to know Yang can quickly go back to her old, groan inducing, pun-spewing self; at the same time it is a complete double-edged sword.

"Yang . . ."

"Yes, Blake?"

"Let me go so I can get dressed... I'm going to town, I'll see you there later . . . and please, for Remnant's sake, untie Weiss when she wakes up and don't keep her there to mess with her." I make my way towards Ruby's room to pick up the not-so-surprisingly heavy Crescent Rose. As I walk out of her room and make my way downstairs, I can hear Yang running into the hallway and down the steps to catch me just as I am walking out the door.

"Blake!"

I turn around after hearing her shout. She meets me right at the door and smiles, holding out my scroll in her hand.

_Yet again you show yourself to be far too considerate, Yang._

"You almost forgot it, Blake." She keeps her hand extended until I finally take my scroll from her hand.

"Thanks. I'll call when I get into town." She gives me a nod of her head, and as she closes the door I put my foot into the doorway to stop it from closing.

"Yeah?" Yang asks, cracking the door open so I can see her face completely. Before she gets a chance to utter a second word I lean in and give her upper lip a quick peck, then turn around to start walking; I hear her give a psyched 'yes' to herself before closing the door and leaving me to walk.

_Yup . . . even after all that happened last night . . . she still gets psyched for the little things… how can I not love that?_


	67. The Start to a New Rose

**_Okay . . . So there are a few things I need to say . . .  
_**

**_The first is I am sad to pass on the news that the creator of RWBY, Monty Oum has passed away. It is all over the RoosterTeeth homepage if you wish for the confirmation. I found out this morning and was heartbroken to find out the news. I hope the best for the RoosterTeeth community, and wish for their loss of Monty to not be a mourning, but a remembrance of how he was as a person, and the friendship they all shared._**

**_Well . . . here is chapter 67, and I hope you all enjoy._**

**_In honor of Monty, Lie Ren will be making much more frequent appearances in the future chapters (naturally where it would fit) and possibly do a few POVs in that perspective, along with the Almighty Oz. It's not much . . . but it's the best I can think of to honor his memory._**

**_Monty Oum_**

**_"Keep Moving Forward"_**

**_1981 - 2015_**

* * *

**_POV: SHUN HITOMI_**

**_Chapter 67 – The Start to a New Rose_**

_How did I get myself into this mess? I always thought it would be a simple job . . . in . . . and out. Yet, here I am watching one of my favorite animes . . . with a girl who practically memorized the opening song after the first listen to . . . ON TOP OF THE ENDING. I need to get out of here . . . wait, the ending is finished! Yes!_

"Can we watch one more episode?" I look up at Ruby who is comfortably seated on my lap, although not even an hour ago she was completely hesitant when I simply put my arm around her. I need to remember to give Weiss props for being able to deal with this girl. That's for sure.

"No." I say flatly, and not bothering to explain myself.

"But! Nagisa just got Shizuma to be good!"

"No . . . you saw Nagisa being a lost pup without Shizuma . . ."

"Maybe she was a little . . . but she could have survived."

"Just like you without Weiss?" I counter and lead the girl off of my lap so I can stand and make my way to the kitchen on a sleeping left leg, courtesy of Ruby sitting on it.

". . . Are you trying to say I'm like Nagisa?" She asks, her voice letting me know she is not so far behind.

"Exactly like her . . . although Weiss is nothing like Shizuma . . . at least I don't think so." I tease, but my words were filled with truth at the same time.

"Hmph!"

"Hey, just saying the facts . . . I'm sure your lover is wonderful to you, but she's not exactly the person everyone wants to walk up to and cheer for when she makes an appearance." I walk into my small kitchen. The silver sink being to my immediate left with the white electric stove sitting next to it a few feet down after the rest of the chalky-white kitchen counter ends. To my immediate right is my tall, white refrigerator that I go into and pull out a gallon of milk. As I close the door I see Ruby looking at me and then the gallon.

"It's this, Monster or water." I say without taking a second look at her.

"Milk, please!" She squeaks out, making me chuckle at how easy she is to read.

I place the gallon on the counter and open the cabinet above the counter to pull down two glass cups. They are relatively normal-looking, not having any sort of special design aside from being so normal that they are almost unique in their own way. I open the gallon and make short work of filling the two glasses almost to the brim.

"You spill anything and I will make sure you mop it spotless." I give a firm gaze to Ruby who is completely unaffected by it, and instead leans over to her cup to sip from it before picking it up and walking to the living room.

_That girl is not human . . . I swear, she is acting like she is right at home. I mean, she does know me and whatnot, but at the same time she doesn't know if I could be working for some people that want her dead . . . she is far too trusting._

I walk into the living room and look at Ruby who has my scroll in her lap and is dialing a number. Before she can press the call button I step over and snatch it from her with a loud growl emanating from my chest.

"What? You said I can call at dawn . . ." She defends and points out the window to show the sun peeking over the horizon. She wasn't being a sneak at all, and instead followed my directions to the letter . . . I suppose I should have established that I will need to be present during all of the calls.

"Okay . . . keep it on speaker, and we'll start working after you're done with the call." I hand the scroll back to her with the number still dialed in, leaving her the task of pressing talk, and putting it on speaker.

"Telemarketing this early in the morning!? I don't want any asshole!" I can hear Yang yell through the scroll. I set that scroll to always come through as a private number, so Yang made an assumption that Ruby is one of those annoying telemarketers . . . pretty amusing.

"Yang?" Ruby asks in confusion to why she was just called an asshole.

"Rubes!? I thought you were one of those annoying advertisers! How are you? Everything okay? Who kidnapped you? Where are you? If they so much as touched you I will drill a hole through their crotch! Just gimme the guy's name!"

_Sheesh . . . Yang needs to calm down . . . she's still as short tempered as ever._

"Ummmm . . . I'm fine, everything's good. I'm not allowed to tell. I don't know yet, and it's a girl." Ruby looks to me and I give her a nod. So far she is following my directions and conditions to the letter, although I wish she did not specify my gender . . . it could narrow things down quite a bit, and I rather try to keep as hidden as possible for now, although nobody knows where I live aside from Mister Qrow and Brandon.

"I see . . . well, Ice Queen had a meltdown when she saw that you weren't in the room. Blake actually had to give her a little love tap on the neck to get her to relax. She's right next to me although she's snoozin' like a little baby. You're not being threatened are you?"

I look at Ruby's eyes when she hears the news of her girlfriend. The silver eyes weaken in intensity, and while she is doing her very best to hide it, I can see that she is borderline crying at the thought of her girlfriend's reaction to her absence.

"Not really threatened. Just rules I gotta follow if I want to talk to you. I'm not handcuffed or anything . . . as a matter of fact I'm drinking milk!"

"Really Ruby? How much milk are you going to drink?"

"They only had milk or water! And water has a really funny aftertaste that I hate . . . You know that!" She pauses a moment, then adds, "Well, there was Monster too, but you know I don't like it. Oh, and um . . . do you think you could wake up Weiss for me? I want to let her know I'm okay." Ruby's voice is immediately softened in hopes of talking to her girlfriend. She looks at me again and I give her another nod, letting her know that no barriers in our arrangement are being crossed.

"Well . . . I rather not wake her up . . . she's a little tied at the moment."

"How can she be tied up if she's sleeping, Yang? Wait . . . you don't mean that literally, do you?"

"Well- Oh, hey Weiss . . . Welcome back to the world of the liv- You insolent barbarian! Why am I handcuffed to your bedroom! Get me off of this sweaty mattress this instant! The mere thought of you touching me while I am in a nightgown is unthinkable!"

The two voices arguing through the scroll is hilarious to say the least.I take another sip from my glass of milk, then cover my mouth with my other hand at the sudden argument going on that can be heard from my scroll. The yelling of Weiss that almost completely overlaps Yang's, who is trying to clarify what is going on. I am ready to start hearing some colorful language that will brighten my tiring morning, but Ruby is quick to yell into the scroll, and it earns silence from the other side.

"Both of you stop it! Yang! Untie Weiss this instant! Weiss, stop being a jerk to my sister and talk to me!" I listen in carefully, hearing both of them comply. To think a little 16 year old is capable of commanding a group of girls that are two years older than her is beyond me, but I am witnessing it firsthand practically.

"Ruby . . . are you okay? I saw you weren't in the room this morning and . . . I can't remember much after that. You're not hurt are you?" Weiss' voice takes dominance over the scroll, and Ruby's face shows a mix of happiness and sadness while hearing her girlfriend's voice.

"I'm fine, Weiss . . . Don't worry. It's not like the White Fang has me. Torchwick won't be getting me that easy." She teases in hopes of cheering her bound lover up.

"Yes, well . . . I will be having a long talk with whomever it is that took you from me."

"Maybe . . . anyway, until I am back, Blake's in charge. Hate to say it, but you two are not levelheaded enough."

I continue my attempts to muffle my laughing fit, amazed at the sudden change in her attitude, and the increase in responsibility. It's safe to say that she makes sure she does her part as a leader, although she is the youngest of the four.

"Anyway, I need to go you two. Sis . . . be nice to Weiss . . . and Weiss . . . I want kisses when I get back!"

"The longer you keep me waiting, the less you are getting, Dunce . . . be safe."

"Don't worry! I'm with someone nice! Bye!" Ruby smiles as she hangs up and places the scroll next to her on the recliner. "Okay . . . So, you said we have training now, right? What are we doing?"

_Why the hell is she so calm and relaxed about this all? . . . Does she believe every word that leaves the lips of someone who kidnaps her to be the truth?_

"Shun?"

"Sorry, spaced out . . . Go into the attic . . . It's in the same spot as yours." I explain and quickly shoo her away while I reach down to take off the two bracelets I wear on my ankles and carefully place them down on the floor.

The bracelets I wear are weighted, but not many people know that. My kicks are extremely powerful as is, and while the weights make them heavier than they truly are, it also slows down my speed drastically.

"Alright . . . I have no idea what you expect me to accomplish with a week of training with her . . . but I'll bust my ass these three days to get her better." I take a deep breath and go upstairs to see the ladder to the attic is hanging down. I walk over and take one step onto the ladder and extend my long arms to the top to pull myself into the attic with a small kick of my legs. As my legs clear the hole in the roof I plant them onto the floor and pull the ladder up to avoid either of us falling down through the hole in the ceiling.

"Your attic is so empty! You should add a workshop up here like mine!" Ruby shouts while sitting near the windowsill.

"Wait, all of that was yours!? I thought it would belong to Yang or something." That's a lie. I thought it belonged to Qrow, although I can't say that or else she will know I have some sort of affiliation with him.

"Nope! I need all the room I can get to work on making my Sweetheart as pretty as can be." She smiles with a triumphant look on her face.

"Okay . . . Anyway . . . Tell me, how much do you know in terms of hand-to-hand combat?"

"Umm . . . I know that there are a bunch of different fighting styles . . . and a lot of them require conditioning of body parts to be capable of landing strong attacks without harming themselves . . . that, or have a strong aura to prevent harm." She answers, keeping a hand on her chin as she ponders on more.

"Not what I meant . . . How much hand-to-hand combat experience do YOU have?"

"None."

"So you have no idea your reflexes in a standard fight? Strength in your punches or kicks? Yet you were able to perfectly copy Yang's boxing movements in the gym?" I ask in complete astonishment.

"What do you mean completely copy?"

"You did her exact method of jabbing, and threw her cross in the same way . . . of course you lack the strength, but you looked like an exact shadow of her. Are you telling me you can do that just from looking at her fight?"

"Um . . . Yes?" She answers, walking towards the large open space of the attic. Unlike her attic, mine has a lack of most of the vertical supports since it has a different framing, making the extra supports unnecessary. Pretty much the identical to wearing a belt with suspenders.

"Un-fucking-believable. If you can really learn just by watching someone, then you can learn almost any fighting style you want if you go ot fight clubs and just watch them there. Let me see just how good you are, then." I begin walking to the middle of the large open space, directing Ruby to my side, but moving her a few feet back to make sure I don't hit her. "I'm going to do the same kick three times. Watch it, and mimic it as best you can, alright?"

"I'll try . . . but I don't think I can do it . . . I've watched Yang hit the focus mitts since . . . forever."

"And at that poor angle you know just how to throw her punches, and how to take her stance as a southpaw. I guarantee you that most people can't do that, and it would take them much, much longer, and more focus to do. Now, just watch, kid." I take a deep breath, taking a southpaw kickboxing stance.

Despite my tall frame I stand upright, keeping my hands loosely clenched at either side of my forehead. I begin to make small baby hops off the balls of my feet to gain the rhythm and kinetic energy in my body that I will eventually direct into my kick. Through the sight of my left eye I imagine an opponent slightly taller than me. My imagination is not the greatest thing in the world, and all I am capable of is creating the illusion of a standing silhouette.

With the image of my opponent in front of me I lift my left foot off the ground. At the same instant my right heel slams into the wooden floor below me for support, beginning the transfer of energy I use for one of my most basic kicks. The only part of my body that moves is my left arm to act as a counterbalance, and my hips to support the movement of my left leg when I snap my foot out in a wind-cutting roundhouse kick that would at the very minimum leave the recipient groggy and seeing me in triplets.

Normally I would snap my leg back and retreat into my original stance, but for the sake of Ruby seeing the ending image of my kick I keep myself perfectly still with my leg extended for another few seconds before casually lowering my leg and turning my head to the white-tipped brunette who is partially awestruck.

"Woah . . . I barely saw the kick! Do it again!" She looks at me with her fists clenched and her silver eyes resembling the twinkling stare of a puppy.

"You're turn to try it. I don't expect you to get it down fully, but try to get the base form and delivery. It will let me see what we need to work on." I step back and let Ruby move into the spot I was just standing in and begin to observe her form. I did the kick much quicker than I should have, but I want to see how capable she is of mimicking something that she could barely see.

"So . . . like this?" She asks as she adopts my stance almost identically. The only flaws I can spot are her hands being too loosely clenched, and the small hops that I did previously are a bit too exaggerated to her. Of course that is expected since she is doing this by sight, and without the understanding that I use it to build momentum in my attacks, however for her to even copy the small bounces is impressive.

I see her eyes narrow shortly before she swings her shoulder forward slightly enough for me to pick up on, followed by her side in a domino effect. Her shoulder goes back to its default position, but she uses that first movement as her own way of transferring movement down the side of her body until her leg lifts off the ground ad swings in an almost similar fashion to my own, except her kick is lower than what I wanted. If she were facing someone that was taller than her, then she would just barely touch their chin.

_She's flexible . . . but not as flexible as she needs to be to learn my technique . . . okay_

She holds her kick in the air, but shortly after she begins to teeter and shake. Throughout her balance struggle she still tries to hold the pose, and the end result is her leaning back and going horizontal to the floor. Out of reflex I step in and crouch at the same time, reaching my left arm out to catch her back to avoid her head hitting the wood. With me catching her upper body she is quick to replant her feet and stand herself up by using me as a support.

_And she doesn't have the balance to hold it . . . I guess she is too use to swinging that giant weapon of hers and relying on a wide stance to keep herself steady . . . effective for that, but it won't help her if she is by herself . . . this is a hindrance._

"So . . . how'd I do?" She asks, scratching the back of her head with the expectation to get a harsh marking from me.

"You did the kick well. You're not as flexible as me, although I stretch every day. You need a little improvement on your balance, although I could probably teach you a different style that may suit you a little more. As a matter of fact, it's also a style one of your teammates use." I say, thinking of an idea as I speak. Boxing is far too aggressive for her to learn, and the physical conditioning is too intense. To be more precise: her small frame is not meant for the kind of boxing she would need. She would need to be able to end things quickly, and while I am sure she could learn boxing and be amazing at wearing down an opponent, in a street fight or worse she would not be very effective if she had to fight more than two people.

No, what I have in mind for her is to use a style that can be pinpoint, quick, and deadly when done correctly, or deadly when done incorrectly. A style that could easily leave someone unconscious with one successful hit, and it does not need to be powerful, but instead be accurate and have the proper form.

Although I think she is too pure hearted to use such a style to its full ability. All I can do is teach her the basics of two forms and allow her to mold it her own way. I have no idea how hard she can hit. The only thing I have seen is her ability to learn exceptionally fast just by looking, and while that is a priceless thing to have, it is also useless unless she knows what she wants to do. If I am going to teach her anything of value, she will need to have two things: speed, and powerful legs.

"So I am learning boxing?" She asks with a tilt of her head while looking up at me.

"No, I will be teaching you bits and pieces of kickboxing and Muay Thai." I clarify, which also earns a more confused look from her.

"Huh? Yang doesn't know how to do that."

"Are you telling me you have never seen that Faunus girl use Muay Thai?" I raise an eyebrow in surprise, and become even more surprised when I am treated to a nod of her head.

"Nope . . . I've always seen Blake rely on Gambol Shroud in a fight. She's never had reason to use anything else."

While I would normally scold her for not knowing the capabilities of her team. It also seems logical that 'Blake' as I was just reminded of her name is also a former member of the White Fang. Learning a close range fighting style was something that always assisted in sticking out, although it was never a huge requirement, and instead recommended if anyone wanted to get higher up.

For her to hide the fact that she is capable of fighting unarmed is both deceptive and smart. Although I am surprised she would choose to reveal such a thing to me for the sake of finding out about Yang's past through me.

"The reason being . . . I doubt you have the upper body strength to learn boxing, and to strengthen you for that would take far too long. Fun fact: the legs are naturally three times stronger than the arms . . . meaning they require three time LESS the effort to train, and are more suited to momentum attacks such as jumping knees and spinning back kicks."

"Sounds fun . . . but why are you so focused on teaching me a fighting style?"

". . . Because it's a project I decided to pick up on. Now let's get going. We'll have breakfast after I teach you these first few stances."


	68. Starting Point

**_Okay, so I was able to work out this chapter, although I doubt I will be able to work on another. It'd be cool if you guys could send me ideas for one-shots that you'd want to see me try. May help me get my head clear while also adding a few more stories to my list. I may even like an idea enough to want to make it more than a one shot :P Although nothing will be as long as this story xD  
_**

**_Anyway, usual requests as always: review, pros and cons, so on and so forth :)_**

* * *

**_POV: YANG XIAO LONG_**

**_Chapter 68 – Starting Point_**

"Quite frankly I need to agree with her decision. I'm her girlfriend, and you're her sister. The two of us argue and bicker constantly, and Blake proves to be the levelheaded one out of all four of us. Am I dissatisfied that she left Blake in charge? Slightly . . . I always felt I would have made an ideal leader, but that's the past."

I roll my eyes while Weiss passes on her lecture on how she supports Ruby's decision to put Blake in charge. I am not too fond of the whole idea, but I guess since Kittycat has always played the neutral party she is the perfect person for this positon.

"I guess . . . look, sorry for the whole bondage setup. I thought you were going to turn into 'Absolute Zero Temperature' Weiss. My back still hurts from that launch by the way."

Weiss is still sitting in my bed. After Ruby hung up I finished undoing the knot job, and Weiss remained quiet the entire time. Weiss hasn't questioned me if I know where Ruby is, and unfortunately I don't, but I do know who has her.

There is only one person in the area that knows where my house is, is stockpiled on Monster and Milk, and still lives in Patch. Deep down I was hoping that Blake was wrong about it all, but it seems there is no other suspects as of now. The problem with this all is that I have no idea where Hito lives. We went out during our days at Signal, but never once did she bring me to her home. I mentioned it several times, but there was always some excuse.

"- so me losing my 'cool' as you would call it is not at all unreasonable. Are you even listening to me!?"

I shake my head, breaking free from my deep thoughts and look at my bed to an unamused Weiss who has her arms folded in that scolding mother sort of tone.

"I heard most of it." I lie

"You are some piece of work, Xiao Long." Weiss says while rolling her eyes, but also cracking a smile.

Her and I still butt heads to no end, but we also have developed a small understanding between each other. Rubes and Blake still think that me and Weiss are the most bitter of teammates, but it's the way we are used to treating each other.

"Thanks, but I'm taken Ice Queen." I tease, placing a hand on my hip and turning sideways to flaunt the profile of my breasts and behind. I'm only in a gold bra and black and a pair of gold boyshirts to match which makes the teasing gesture all the more perfect.

"YOU MORON!" Weiss snaps and stands up. She walks by me and leaves me room. I assume she is heading towards Ruby's room, and I follow her up to the door which is shut and locked.

"Oh come on, Weiss! I've said way worse than that before!" I sigh, knocking on the door..

"I'm getting dressed you brute! Blake isn't here so I assume she went ahead to start looking. I rather not be in a nightgown when we leave." She explains, and soon after I hear a large thud on the floor which must be her suitcase that she is trying to go through as quick as possible.

_Still not used to knowing that Ice Queen has a heart._

"Alright. Hurry up, I get dressed quick." I answer back with satisfaction radiating in my voice. I go back into my room and make an immediate right towards my closet. Inside are several outfits that I keep clipped together on their own hangers. I have outfits that go from the 'revealing formal' category straight down to the band outfits. We are just going into town, so I grab one of my other brown jackets, although this one has my emblem in a bright gold sitting on the back. Not that it matters, my hair will end up covering it all up anyway but someone wanted to tailor me something special, so this was my request. To go along with the jacket I have my more well-known black shorts to go with it, and a white back skirt. If I'm going to go into town I may as well look good.

I toss the parts of my outfit I already organized onto the bed, then go into my drawer to get the other essentials, such as socks (orange), a low-cut top (yellow with my emblem in black over the left breast), and one of my favorite orange scarves (also orange). The only other things I need to get are my fingerless, brown gloves, and my platform boots, but I put those on last anyway.

I take a deep breath and sit down at the edge of my bed, starting off with putting on my thigh-high orange socks. The next thing to get tossed on is my low-cut crop top, followed by brown short shorts and my white back-skirt that flows down to the back of my knee. While I dress I think of what else I should add to complete the look, and realize I need my belt and tan-cloth to match with some of the lighter spots of my jacket.

Speaking of my jacket, that's next to go on. I love this thing with all my heart, especially the way it hugs my underbust after I secure the two buttons underneath. It's a pretty small jacket, just slightly larger than a bolero, so it shows off a decent amount of my midriff (from the belly button and below). I may be overdressing a little, but the fact that I need to ride Bumblebee into town means I need to keep a little warm, and I rather not use my semblance all the way down since I'll have Ice Queen clinging for life behind me. I doubt she's ever ridden on a motorcycle before.

I gaze around the room, spotting my platform boots in the corner. I stand up from the bed to get them, and while I am at it I make my way into my closet to get my belt that is hanging on the door with a large pouch that is filled with a few pre-loaded bandoliers for Ember Celica. With one arm carrying my belt and bandolier, and in the other arm I have my boots cradled I walk back to the bed and start off with placing my boots on. The knee-high footwear fits loosely around my calves, until I reach to the inner part of my leg and pull the zipper all the way up to secure them in place. My orange socks both appearing over the top of the boots, although my right sock has sagged down to expose my knee while the other is still tightly hugging my thigh.

"Are you ready, yet?" I look ahead of me to see Weiss is in her usual outfit with Myrtenaster on her hip. Her arms are folded, and the constant tapping of her left foot shows her impatience to leave.

"Almost. Mind opening up the garage? We'll be taking Bumblebee into town. It's quicker." I am surprised that Weiss doesn't question us taking my bike, or questioning what Bumblebee is since I've never really talked about it before. As quick as I make my request she is gone, and before I am returned back to my silence I can hear the quick pitter patter of her footsteps while she descends to the lower floor.

"Alright . . . Boots, socks, top, jacket . . . I need gloves, my scarf, and my belt."

I nod to my mental checklist and start off by standing up to wrap my belt around my waist, and adjusting the pouches that are attached to the belt so they rest on each hip. I keep these in my closet always because I never made any more of the shells that I have inside. I experimented with dust one time, but only had a limited quantity to work with, and I was surprised that they actually worked. If we do find Hito . . . I'll need every shot. She's 3 years older than me, and has way more experience when it comes to fighting a person. Not to mention she pretty much taught me most of what I know.

I look around to find my scarf which is sitting on top of my dresser, along with my gloves. I place my gloves on, holding each by the wrist and forcing it on to make it grasp my palm with a tightness that lets me know there is no chance of them falling off. I decide I will put my scarf on after I get outside, but I see one more thing out the corner of my eye I feel the need to add to my outfit despite it not matching at all.

I walk to the nightstand in my room where the two empty cans of Monster that Blake and I shared rest. Next to them is the silky, purple cloth that she uses as a bow. I smile to myself and take a seat on my bed while grasping the cloth and admiring it.

"Blake . . ."

I murmur, beginning to worry about Blake. _What if Hito isn't working alone?_

I wrap the cloth around my left leg, just below my kneecap and tying it. To make it look a little neater I straighten it out and tuck a portion of it into my boot to keep it looking smooth and unwrinkled. Prior to walking out the door I go underneath my bed and pull out two small bracelets that I strap onto my wrists. After doing a small burst of my aura I watch as the material comes alive and my Babies make their appearance on my arms known.

". . . I'm on my way."

I make sure to pocket my scroll and make my way outside to see Weiss is just getting the garage open and is peeking inside at my precious Bumblebee.

"Where did you even get the money to purchase that?" She asks while I walk next to her.

"When you're undefeated . . . the fight purses tend to get larger and larger. After winning some boxing matches in Patch I had enough to spoil myself. I threw everything I had into getting a bike and customizing it to my liking." I explain with heavy pride. I walk over to my bike and see my yellow helmet with a dark visor sitting on the seat, with the extra black helmet I keep for any passengers I may have. I look towards the entrance of the garage to see Weiss is already walking in and observing the leather seat of Bumblebee.

"I assume you'll be considerate enough to not do a wheely with me on board?" Weiss shifts her gaze from Bumblebee to me with a look that tells her she already knows the answer.

"I'll try . . . just don't clench my stomach too tight." I grin and climb into my bike while putting on my helmet. Before I can give the instruction, Weiss climbs behind me and puts on the black helmet.

"I'm trusting you, Yang . . . I've never been on a motorcycle . . ."

I was pretty confident that Weiss had never ridden a motorcycle, and while I am not shocked at all to hear the confirmation from her lips, I am surprised at the tone she said it in. Instead of the firm, annoyed tone she would normally carry, there was a slight hint of worry that shadowed the serious tone of hers. I want to give her an unsure response once more, but I feel like I shouldn't mess with her this time, and instead take the proper route and reassure my sister's girlfriend.

"Alright, Weiss. I'll take it easy. Just a few things since you're riding for the first time. First off, you want to always lean with me. By that I mean when I am turning you should follow the shift in my body. If you go against me, then it may mess up the turn I'm trying to do. Second, don't be afraid to lean on me . . . there's nothing romantic or flirtatious about leaning against me . . . unless you mean to make it flirty. Ruby rides with me on Bumblebee all the time, I'm sure it will be no problem for you." I look over my shoulder to Weiss, although with the visor covering her face I can't see her reaction.

"I get it, Yang . . . Thanks." Weiss reaches underneath the visor to lift it up, revealing a thankful smile to me before putting it back down.

I smile to myself and turn forward, reaching for the ignition on Bumblebee which already has the key in it since I took her out for a spin when me, Ruby and Blake first got to Patch. With a gentle turn of the key I hear Bumblebee begin to roar while starting up and settle down to a gentle hum and vibration until I twist the accelerator.

On cue, Weiss wraps her arms around my stomach and I make sure to pull out of the driveway slowly, making a left turn onto the road and picking up speed very slowly to avoid the front wheel lifting off the road as per her request. While I reach a speed that is still above the speed limit, although still a bit slow for me, I can feel Weiss' arms loosen from me with her building comfort for riding as a passenger. Truth be told I was expecting her to be a little more tense, and possibly hitting me or something as a way of telling me to slow down, but she's been well under control in that regard. I expected the trip into town to take about 15 minutes, but thanks to her being so relaxed it only takes 10.

I pull my bike to a stop in front of Brandon's gym. The first place to look for Hito would naturally be here, and while it is somewhere around 6 in the morning, I doubt she would be here this early, but Brandon may know where she lives. I turn off my bike, making it begin to balance itself without the need of a kickstand. I climb off and take off my helmet, extending my hand out to help Weiss down.

She takes her helmet off and rests it on the space in front of her then places her hand on mine for me to help get her leg over my bike and slide off with a gentle landing thanks to her placing some of her weight on me.

"Wasn't that bad, right?" I ask with a grin, lifting the visor of my helmet to show my smile to her which is returned with a scoff and a shake of her head.

"It was . . . surprisingly pleasant." She admits while I take off my helmet and place it on my bike next to hers. I give a shake of my head to let my hair fall back into place, instead of being compressed to my head thanks to my helmet. Just as I am done getting my hair freed and am ready to enter the gym, Weiss points down the street to bring my attention to Blake who is two blocks down and is walking towards us with a shopping bag in one arm, and Crescent Rose in its scythe form over her other shoulder.

_What the hell was she up to?_


	69. On The Right Trail

**_Okay, so a few things I would like to say before you guys get to reading:  
_**

**_1) I have started a second story, a breakoff of this one that involves how Cinder and Neo met. If you don't remember that idea, it was way back within the 30's chapters. I hope you guys are interested enough in my work as an author to check it out, although I know a majority of people are here for the White Rose and Bumbleby. It's called 'The Alignment of Falling Stars'_**

**_2) Since I am uploading a bit slower than would like, I'd like to direct you guys to a small story that is pretty good in my opinion. While the beginning is pretty generic (Which I hope you all would look over since I relieved the same criticism when I first started) the use of wordplay with each POV (Does a different POV each chapter like me) is very noticeable and it's a really enjoyable read. _**

**_Now, I wouldn't direct you all to a story I don't think is going to go somewhere. While I keep telling people I am nothing special, all I get told to me is that I have a large fanbase, and blah blah blah xD. So, I guess I should take that 'slightly' serious for once and not risk messing up my 'good name' as an author (although I am far from being some super fanbase author ._.)_**

**_Anyway, the story you may want to take a look at is 'Your Heart Will Open Minds: A Series of Ruby Fanfiction'_**

**_So, without further delay. Enjoy the chapter . . . and for anyone who gets giggles from the number 69 . . . I already made the joke...so HAH_**

**_POV: BLAKE BELLADONNA_**

**_Chapter 69 (Giggity) – On The Right Trail_**

The walk into town was as quiet as can be, and took slightly longer than it should have since I kept my guard up the entire walk. The calming sounds of the crickets chirping radiates through the empty, abandoned streets of the suburban town. The deeper down the long strip I go, the fainter the surrounding crickets begin to sound. Before I realize it I am already passing the laundromat, and Yang's boxing gym. I continue walking down, keeping the compacted Crescent Rose in my hand while I walk aimlessly.

Perhaps going to town this early was a bad idea, but I can't just sit still while Ruby is missing. Yang's mental condition makes her a bad candidate for traveling and being discreet which is why I am relying on that call from Ruby to put her mind at ease. The last thing I need is a supernova Yang walking around town making it obvious we are nearby and searching.

"Excuse me, Miss . . . but what are you doing with that?" A soft voice whispers to me, and I make a quick turn out of surprise to see someone peeking out of a store door. A quick look up at the sign, and then inside gives me the assumption that it's a clothing store of some sorts. I redirect my attention to the person that called me, seeing that it is a woman towering over me with a height of 6'2. A closer focus on her eyes and head, and I recognize two tiny sets of antlers poking out from the top of her shoulder-length dark hair. Through the darkness she keeps a firm sight on me with her green eyes, still awaiting an answer.

"I'm assuming you know this weapon?" I dodge answering her question, and instead counter with my own question to sate my quest for information.

"I wouldn't have stopped you otherwise. It belongs to Yang's little sister. I think her name is-"

"Ruby . . . her name is Ruby Rose. I'm her teammate, and Yang's girlfriend." I announce, hoping my affiliation with Yang and Ruby would get me somewhere, and not so surprisingly it does, although with far better results than I had anticipated.

"Oh! So you're the faunus that's dating Yang! Come, come."

Before I even have a chance to argue what is happening, I am tugged into the store with no room to argue or debate the sudden showing of hospitality.

"Yang has been my top customer for well . . . years. Even at Beacon she still gives me a call and asks for a list of all the new things I get in stock. Why, when she went to Beacon she gave me a call and had me send her something new I had in stock, and she was gloating about it just the other day on how it had you completely dumb-struck at the sight!"

While I listen to the store owner speak I take a moment to gaze around, and feel a redness fill my cheeks with what is sitting on the several shelves, and put on display. The store is meant for women, and is somewhat of a 'teaser gallery'. Along one wall I notice the several different styles of women's underwear, although what I take a more detailed note of is the writing on one of the boyshorts 'TREAT ME RIGHT' a writing I have seen on Yang's boyshorts, although the ones on display lack the change in color that reveals the secondary message within the writing that would read 'EAT ME'.

"I see . . . Yang asked for the ones over there . . . didn't she?" I ask with no alteration in my tone. Now that I know Yang has gloated about the sudden teasing effect the boyshorts had on me the first time I was surprised with them I plan on getting her back tenfold.

"Yup, those are the ones. I sent her an image of them, and she asked me if I could do a little custom work on them. Well, why am I going on about all that when you saw it first hand? Was my handy work noticeable?" I look back to the store owner who has gleaming eyes and clenched fists, hoping to hear some sort of praise from me. Oddly enough, the shining look that I am getting remind me of Ruby from the first time she stepped into Beacon. The mini-heart attack she was having at the front gate was beyond adorable, although it was ruined with Ruby and Weiss's first meeting . . . and the following explosion that dubbed Ruby the name 'Crater Face'.

"Well, I was left speechless to say the least . . . and I do not recall seeing any stitching out of place, although did you sow over it, or remove letters to place your own?" I tilt my head. My question starting off as a way to feign interest and please the prideful woman, but now it has become something of genuine interest.

"You kidding? I re-did the design myself. Anything in this store I can re-create with no problem at all!" She boasts and pushes out her breasts with pride.

_She's tall . . . but they're about the same size as mine . . . kind of flat for her height . . ._

"That's interesting. Mind if I look around?" I ask.

_I'm going to get Yang back good for even speaking of me blushing like that . . . I suppose I'll do Yang's favorite thing: Fight fire with fire._

"Sure, go right ahead. Let me know if you need anything. I'll be right here." She smiles and goes behind the checkout counter to sit and wait for my call.

While I look around I notice that most of the more flirtatious writings are on boyshorts as opposed to anything else. I mainly own classic briefs and hipster styled panties, but I do own a few boyshorts . . . and if I'm going to tease Yang at her own game, I suppose buying a pair of them would be extremely effective.

I continue walking throughout the store, scanning through several until I pause and spot something that seems to be perfect, and rather punny which will also taunt Yang considering she claims herself to be the queen of puns.

"I found something." I call out, and after a few seconds the store owner is at my side waiting for me to point out which ones I want, and before she can ask me herself I point to the pair I am interested in.

"The one that says 'have you pet the kitty today?'?" She asks, looking at me, then at my cat ears before snickering. "I see, that's a nice little joke in itself. You want it changed at all?"

"Well, I like how it's primarily black, but could you change the lettering to a shadowy-purple?" I ask with my sweetest of tones.

"Psh, Can I? I could have that done in less than an hour. Just come back in a jiffy and I'll have it all set up for you, alright?" She tells more than asks while grabbing a pair of the boyshorts on display and disappears in the back room, leaving me to dismiss myself from the store and continue on my walk.

I continue walking deeper down the strip of the town, way further than the gym, or the clothing store I was just introduced to. The further down I get, the more the buildings and scenery changes. After a while I realize I am what must be the 'bad side of town'. It's surprising to think that Patch would have little areas like this, but I suppose that exists everywhere, and while I would like to believe that this place is perfect, there is always something small to be complained about.

I've only been on patch for three days, but the atmosphere, and the friendly faces are something I wish I could see more of everywhere else. It is places like these that remind me that not every person I come across is a faunus hating jerk, although the person who has made that thought the clearest has ironically been Weiss. Despite my past in the White Fang, and with her being the heiress to a company filled with anything but faunus lovers she has been very accepting of me, and I appreciate that gesture greatly.

After what feels to be half an hour I come to a three way intersection with a wall sitting in front of me, leaving me the option of turning back, or making a turn in either direction. I stop at the corner and think, finding it may be better to turn back and avoid getting lost since I have no ventured this far before and should not make a habit of it now while I do not have Yang to guide me.

"Came to the wrong part of town, gal." I hear a rough voice call out from across the street. From my angle I can see three men, all baring wicked grins and sadistic stares. The one in the front, who I assume to be the one who spoke up has a very detailed military knife in his left hand, while the other two have the more basic switchblade available.

"I realize that. I was just on my way back before you called out to me." I explain, turning myself to begin walking the way I came, but one of the two lackeys steps a few meters in front of me to cut off my walk while the other goes behind me, and the leader remains across the street for now.

All three of them are in similar outfits. Black cargo pants, silver muscle shirts, and construction boots. I should commend them all for wearing things that would not get in the way of a fight. Especially for wearing construction boots since it can help avoid stubbing a toe or anything along that regard. While I am an aura user, I don't need to worry about those minor injuries, but I do need to remember that not everyone has the courtesy of the same abilities.

"Too late for that. We just want three things . . . pretty simple."

I look behind me, then in front of me, and finally to my right to gaze across the street at the leader of the trio.

"Let me guess, this red thing I'm carrying, my wallet, and possibly my jacket." I roll my eyes at the arrogance they have simply over number dominance.

"Not even close. We want your ass, cunt, and mouth . . . in that order." He says with a brightening smirk.

_Yeah . . . Should I deal with them Yang's way . . . play along, lead 'em into an alley and finish 'em there . . . wait . . ._

I grin to myself, playing with the heavy weapon held firmly in my right hand.

_. . . I can do this the Ruby way._

"As much of a charming and tempting offer as that is . . . I'm going to need to decline." I answer with a calmness still in my voice. I take the chance to haul the heavy red weapon over my shoulder in the manner I have seen Ruby do countless times, and feel around for the small release switch that triggers Crescent Rose's transformation into its scythe form.

As the material moves and shifts to make the shape of the weapon I quickly spread my legs to fix my stance since the center of gravity of Crescent Rose shifts more towards the heavy blade-end. I look over my right shoulder, seeing the long, sharp, and curved blade that points to the sky twinkle in the disappearing moonlight.

"Holy shit . . . where the fuck did she get that!?" I can hear the man behind me exclaim. Since I am still looking over my shoulder, I shift my gaze slightly to look at him, although he is quick to take a few steps back and retreat across the street towards his boss.

A turn of my head to look in front of me at the other lackey gets the same result, and as quick as they figured they had the upper hand, it is shifted in my favor. The authority of the trio not saying a word when I begin to walk and continue my trip back towards the clothing store which looks to be another half hour walk.

_Unfortunate . . . I was hoping to take this thing out for a spin. It does have a bigger intimidation factor than Gambol Shroud . . . I wonder how it actually is in combat._

The walk back is very relaxed, although I keep an ear up just in case my new favorite trio decides to sneak up on me and be a little cleverer with their pickup lines. I decided to keep Crescent Rose open for the sheer intimidation it provokes, making it far less likely anybody would dare walk up to be with ill intentions.

On the next block I can see the familiar display setup of the clothing store, along with an open door with the antlered head of the owner peeking out, most likely looking for me. Since my right hand is still holding Crescent Rose over my shoulder, I place my thumb and index finger into my lips to release a brief, high-pitched whistle that startles her but ultimately gets her to look at me.

"There you are! Hurry, hurry! You're going to absolutely LOVE what I did for you." She exclaims. This woman is just as passionate with her work on clothing as Ruby is with weapons. Before proceeding any further I close Ruby's scythe back into its compact form to make it easier to walk through the door and not risk cutting through the frame by mistake.

I walk into the store, seeing her make quick, long strides behind the counter with her latest work sitting on top of the counter. Just as I asked, she redid the white textures, and replaced them with a midnight purple that matches my bow and usual eye-shadow, however she flips the underwear over and makes my eyes widen at the sight of my emblem resting on the left side of the clothing which would be on my left, front thigh should I wear them right now.

"Wait . . . how did you get my emblem?" I ask in surprise, but I am in no way ungrateful.

"Psh, I saw it on your shirt. I can do anything after seeing it a first time. That goes with any intricate design you could throw at me."

"Does that mean you can mimic the Schnee emblem?"

"If any of the Schnee family walked in, I could make anything they ask for . . . not a problem." She boasts and quickly folds the boyshorts and places them in an unmarked shopping bag.

"Why the normal bag?" I ask, seeing that she has several with the store logo on them.

"Well, Yang could see my store logo from a mile away. I'm sure you want to surprise her, right?" Her wit on the situation brings another surprise to my face and nod my head.

"How much do I owe you? I'm sure a job like that can't be cheap." I begin reaching into my pocket to find my small black wallet but before I can get my hand into the material of my pants, my wrist is grabbed and my attention is turned back to her.

"Shug, if you're going out with Yang, then you're family. That girl buys from me plenty, and I know most of it she doesn't need. I've tried a million times to get her to take a few freebies but she is as stubborn as a rapier wasp surrounded by red tree sap."

I begin to speak to debate more on paying, but I realize that this woman shares the same stubbornness that Yang has, and it would be an uphill battle for me the entire way.

"Thank you kindly." I smile and grab the bag to leave the store.

"Not a problem . . . just tell Yang her favorite outfit designer's keeping her life interesting when she finally sees my handiwork." She flashes a grin my way and I nod my head, giving one more thanks before I make my leave.

_Y'know . . . it's kind of comfortable to hold Crescent Rose . . . let me just-_

I work to release the compressed form one more time to allow Crescent Rose to open up and haul it over my shoulder as I had for most of my walk. The heavy metal that digs into my shoulder is surprisingly comfortable, and a welcoming feeling that I have never gotten with Gambol Shroud for the obvious reasons.

_I doubt this should feel this comfortable, maybe I'm a bit tense?_

I shrug my shoulders, dismissing the thought as something to be handled later, as for now I need to get back to looking for Ruby.

_Fuck! I should have . . . I still can, actually._

I quickly turn around and take the short walk back to the clothing store, popping my head in until I catch the sight of the deer faunus straightening up some of the shirts and jackets on their respective hangars.

"Something else you need?" She asks, meeting me at the door with an enthusiastic smile.

"I forgot to ask something. You see, I'm carrying around Crescent Rose because Ruby left it home. I need to find her, but she forgot her scroll at home. Yang is still sleeping, but I know she'll be beyond displeased to see her sister forgot her scythe." I lie, but I have no idea who is an accomplice to Ruby's kidnapping, and while Yang was quick to defend her ex-girlfriend, I am more than positive that she is the one who has Ruby.

"I don't see how I can help, dear. You know who she's with?"

"I believe she's with a . . ." I pause, faking a clear remembrance of names, ". . . I believe her name is 'Shun' but Yang calls her 'Hito'."

"Oh! Shun Hitomi. Few years back she use to be in town all the time just to work. Never seen someone that worked so many hours and for such little pay . . . Last I recall, she moved into some house on the edge of town. Last intersection when you're leaving, make a left, and her house is the furthest one in the cul-de-sac. Can't miss it . . . that girl tinted those windows so much that even a faunus can't see in there clearly."

_Perfect. All I need now is to get Yang and Weiss._

"Thanks! You've been a huge help." I turn to leave, but for the second time I am stopped with my actions and turned to face her, although this time she is sporting a soft-spoken grin.

"Information like that isn't cheap, darling. I know Ruby and Yang like the back of my hand. That lil girl never goes anywhere without that 'Sweetheart' of hers, and Yang goes awful quiet when someone mentions Hitomi."

_Fuck, she's sharp._

"How much lien are we talking about here?" I ask, but she only scoffs and shakes her head.

"I'll make it simple on ya. There's a little sweetheart in that exact direction you're going. Cutest eyes, sweetest manners, but she NEEDS to get some better outfits. All I want is for you to swing her my way."

"Wait . . . all you want is for me to send someone to you so you can make a project out of 'em?" I ask in shock to her dedication as a designer.

"I'm not wicked. I like to give a little styling here and there. Nothing wrong with that is there? Not like I'm asking for a smooch. Normally I would . . . but last thing I want is Yang walking in here hotter than a Ghost Pepper because she saw some of my gloss on your lips."

"Fair enough . . . What's the girl's name?" I ask. I am slightly uncomfortable being near the store owner now, especially since I still don't know her name, but at the same time if I were to ask now it would leave the wrong impression that I am 'interested'.

"No idea . . . she works in the laundromat down the way."

_Laundromat? Angelica?_

"I think I know who you're looking for . . . I'll send her here for you." I assure before making a quick exit.

The sun is just starting to peek over the down, and while I should be calling Yang to tell her I know where Shun is, I feel the need to take care of this myself. At least when it comes down to reconnaissance.

The stores and buildings start to become more familiar while I walk back, making me realize I am close to Brandon's boxing gym. However, before I can distinguish how far I am, I hear the loud roaring of a motorcycle. The roaring and well-tuned purr that erupts and echoes in my ears makes me realize it could only be one person. Surely enough, down in the distance is the quickly approaching bike with blond hair trailing behind, and surprisingly I can make out the sights of a white skirt flowing in a similar fashion to Yang's hair.

The other two members of team RWBY are just making their arrival.


	70. Round I: Hantā no Hīru's First Strike

**_POV: WEISS SCHNEE_**

**_Chapter 70 – Round I:_**

**_Hantā no Hīru's First Strike_**

"Wait, Ruby's only a few blocks away!?" I shout in shock and relief. To think that her captor wouldn't bother leaving the area, especially the first place we would look is far too peculiar. They must be a complete amateur. While I recover from my shock, Blake is quick to place the black shopping bag she has in her hand onto the handlebar of Yang's bike.

"Not so loud, Weiss. Apparently at the first block in town you make a right . . . well, now it will be the last block out, and making a left. In that cul-de-sac is a house with windows tinted far darker than they should be . . . it should be the house furthest from us when we walk into the circle." Blake gives a brief, detailed explanation of where the house is, and as compelled I am to rush over and give her captor a piece of my mind and a taste of my blade, I know it will be unwise to make a movie without my team . . . especially considering Blake is the one in charge.

"Blake . . . I think-" Yang begins to speak, but Blake is quick to raise her hand and stop her girlfriend mid-sentence.

"I know, Yang. That's who we're going to go see. I thought about what you said . . . and I can't think of anyone else. It HAS to be her."

"Thanks." Yang smiles at Blake, but I still feel left out in the dark.

"You two know who has Ruby?" I ask.

"Not entirely . . . it's a very supported assumption. There is little chance Ruby could be elsewhere." Blake answers me, and my expectations of Ruby being in Patch still shatter slightly.

"She's there . . . When I was talking to Ruby I heard a few things that makes it a solid choice. She's there." Yang says with solid confidence and her trademark grin.

"Good, then who's leading the way? Yang, you may be best since you know the area." Blake suggests, making me realize that Yang and I haven't given her Ruby's orders.

"Actually," I interrupt, leaving Yang to give the news.

"Ruby put you in charge . . . something about you being the calmest one out of the three of us." Yang smiles as she finishes her statement.

The look on Blake's face is clear surprise to Ruby's words. I suppose it would be a bigger shock to her since she was the one chosen, and definitely not expecting Ruby to make such a decision. There's a look of concern on her face upon receiving the news, and I think there should be. Being made leader, regardless for how long is a big responsibility. Ultimately, if this were in a Grim infested area Blake would be responsible for Yang and myself. Thankfully it's a much more lenient situation.

"Alright . . . Well . . . Let's start heading over. It may be better to stick together than each of us trying to find a way in separately." Blake explains. In a situation like this, it would be better to go in groups of two, but with Ruby being absent it forces us to decrease our ability to split apart.

"Seems like the best thing to do." I agree, but looking at Crescent Rose being held comfortably over Blake's shoulder brings a thought to my head.

"Blake . . . have you taken any test shots or swings with Crescent Rose?"

"None. I know how to open, close it, and look intimidating while doing so." Blake's voice is blunt, shutting down whatever thoughts I may have had.

"Alright. Let's stop getting all brainy and get moving! If Ruby's there, then we better not waste a second!" Yang is quick to stop our thought processes and get us moving towards the targeted cul-de-sac that Ruby is supposedly in.

As we reach the last block before leaving town and make our left, we see several bright red brick houses, however the one we look at immediately is slightly different from the rest. Instead of having the healthy color of red that all the other houses has, it has a more faded brick layout that gives the house a paling orange type of color. As per Blake's description of the house, it has extremely tinted windows that should be considered illegal. They practically resemble a one-sided mirror since the dark tint pretty much radiates a reflection.

"Hate to say it, but this block pretty much looks abandoned. I wonder how many people live here." Yang says out loud while we continue to walk.

We decide it may not be the best thing to go walking up to the front door and causing a loud commotion. We don't know if the residents of any of the other houses are helping out Ruby's captor, who apparently is known by Blake and Yang. I decided to not ask who it is and save the time of myself being shocked, or extensively pissed at the new knowledge.

Blake leads the way between our target house and the house on its left. We swing around to the back door and Blake takes the initiative to cup her hands against the door and place her Faunus ear against it. Surprisingly, there are no fences, barriers, or any sort of property line around the back of the cul-de-sac, and instead all that is seen are the massive grasslands that seem to be endless.

"They're . . . upstairs . . . Two flights up I think. Sounds like they're fighting." Blake keeps calm while she interprets the sound she is hearing. The news has the opposite effect on Yang and I. The two of us want to burst in and beat her captor to a bloody pulp.

"Strike that . . . Ruby's . . . giggling?" Blake pulls away from the door with massive confusion.

"Well, how about we step back and I'll give a 'friendly' knock?" Yang suggests, supporting it by changing her Ember Celica into their active form.

"It may be best. First, let me do this." Blake closes up Crescent Rose and lays it on the ground directly next to the door. "I doubt when Yang starts her 'knocking' that they will have a chance to notice it is here. Plus, it doesn't sound like Ruby is bound, so if and when she comes out the door to see what is going on . . . Crescent Rose is near."

We all appear to be ready, and take several large strides away from the house, making sure we stay behind Yang while she decides which part of the house to aim for.

"Hey, Blake . . . were you able to tell if they were near this side of the house or the other?" Yang asks, holding in her fighting stance and proving to be ready to shoot at any time.

"Far side . . . since this is the back door . . . in comparison to your house, Ruby would be near her workshop area which is near the front of the house." Blake explains.

"Perfect."

Yang's last words are soon sent into silence when she starts sending off a massive barrage of shots from Ember Celica towards the top floor of the house. My eyes widen at her reckless shots that begin coating that side of the building with soot, ash, and debris. Yang shoots all 24 of her buckshots, being quick to re-cartridge her Ember Celica and surprisingly does not continue her assault. As the debris clears, Yang is the only one not surprised to see that the house is completely unphased aside from the color of the bricks being darkened thanks to the high temperature impact.

"Figures . . . Still, I think that was enough shaking to let her know we're here." Yang chuckles.

_That was overkill you brute._

"Of course you'd be the one to try to burn my house down, Sunflower."

At the familiar voice we all look over to the house. The debris is still clearing from the lower levels, but the surprise (for me at least) come from when the familiar, orange-haired, Cheetah Faunus steps into view with a fang-shining smirk.

"We just came for Ruby, Hito. Why the hell did you kidnap her anyway?" Yang takes a step forward, but Blake makes a quick motion to tap Yang on the hip, stopping the blonde barbarian from proceeding further away from us.

"As much as I'd like to comply to my ex's request . . . unfortunately I'm under orders." She speaks with a bright smirk on her face. On her hands are bracers similar to Yang's Ember Celica, but on her legs are some fancy footwear. They are flat, shoes made clearly out of some reinforced material. They are painted orange, and are made to be high-cut with a pivoting joint to give her ankles a full range of motion without being restricted. Whatever it is, it appears to serve a primary purpose of guarding her ankles.

She's wearing the same outfit I recall her in when we first met: an orange tank top with black shorts that are complimented with orange lining to match the top.

"We're not leaving without her, Shun." Blake says in her surprisingly calm voice.

"If that's how you feel . . . I'll take each of you on one at a time. If one of you can beat me . . . she's free to go." Shun smirks that wicked grin of hers that I have grown to hate after seeing it very few times.

"If that's the case. I'll step up first." I hiss, drawing Myrtenaster from my hip and stepping forward slowly to pass Yang. I give a quick gaze over my shoulder, seeing no disagreements from Blake or Yang.

"I see. Myrtenaster: An M.A.D.R . . . works well with your semblance to form glyphs. You have a formal fencing style, but not a surplus of combat experience to an opponent that isn't a grim, or another person wielding a rapier."

_How does she know that!?_

"Done your homework I see. It'll serve you little against a Schnee." I grin.

I turn my body to allow the left side of my body to be what is closer to her. My rapier is held tightly in my left hand, the blade tip pointed slightly above her head. Inside my head I think of my usual posture, assuring myself I get the proper starting stance.

_Left foot forward . . . NOT THAT FORWARD! Shoulders relaxed. Blade aimed at the ready . . . okay._

"Ready to go . . . Princess?" She taunts me, saying that word in the exact tone Ruby usually does. I'm already pissed to have to be out here and rescuing my partner who was kidnapped by some arrogant, bitchy Faunus who had the bad fortune of dating Yang Xiao Long. Now I need to deal with that same Faunus whom I already hate, calling me by a name I will only accept from Ruby's lips.

"Don't . . . ever call me that." I whisper under my breath. Looking at her one revealed eye with a refocused hate.

"As you wish . . . Princess." She smirks again. Her pupil narrowing to a sharp focus when I take my first swift strike.

I activate my glyph beneath me, using it to glide across the grassy plains beneath me. Just before my arrival I can see her ducking backwards and throwing a very slow kick with her right leg. The motion meant to avoid my rapier which I was aiming for her shoulder, and possibly kick me in the stomach should my reaction time be that poor.

At the same instant I form another glyph below me, using it to propel myself into the air and vault over the arrogant Faunus. However, halfway through my flip while I am at the apex of my jump, also being directly over her while upside down, I form a glyph at my feet to push off of and send myself straight down with my blade ready to impale. The surprisingly quick switch in directions I do not once, but twice in the matter of a second throws Shun off, but she is quick to make a powerful kick off the ground with her leg and jump away from my strike.

"Damn . . . you could have killed me with that you bitch!" She shouts, followed by a deep, slow breath to calm herself down.

"Consider it a form of respect. Holding back is only an insult to your opponent is it not?" I ask, bearing an emotionless expression on my face.

_She's a Faunus . . . a Cheetah Faunus at that. Holding back will be my biggest mistake._

"I didn't know we were going all out . . . that's unfortunate." Her earlier, relaxed stance is exchanged to a perfectly postured fighting stance that differs from Yang's very slightly.

"Weiss! Be careful!" Yang shouts the moment stance change is seen from Shun.

_Her kicks are slow as hell. I don't need to worry about that. I guess Yang knows her fighting style . . . Maybe some feints will be used . . . _

I try not to overthink what may happen. Based on my first strike she was caught off guard, and is most likely going to be a lot more cautious with my attacks and semblance usage. I'm on the offensive right now, and that is exactly what Myrtenaster was made for. When it comes down to fighting defensively, then my semblance will be used for that. I worked myself up to have a method of attacking, and a method of defending.

"I'll end you with my next strike '_Princess'_." She continues to taunt me, and from her new stance she changes once more.

I am surprised to see her balance herself on her right leg, then curl her left leg into a posture that she could easily kick it out at any time, but even having her kick pre-ready is nothing I need to worry about considering how slow it was earlier.

I carefully take steps towards her. Despite the weird posture that reminds me oddly of a flamingo, I feel more uneasy the closer I am. Something about her stance is menacing and it makes me take Yang's words in a greater regard.

I decide to go for the sliding dash I did earlier, although this time I plan on striking and continuing past her before that kick of hers has time to connect. I take a deep breath, waving my right hand below me to form the large white glyph I use for my sliding bursts of speed.

The moment I lunge out I see her eyes widen. I managed to catch her off guard for a second time. I decide to change my strike just slightly and go for her shoulder as I wanted to do the first time around. I grin, seeing the tip of my sword pierce her right shoulder, but when I peek at her face in expectation of a wince of pain, all I see is a grin showing all of her teeth.

"FUCK, WEISS DUCK!"

At Yang's words I look to her leg to see it starting to swing towards my head with a much faster speed than it did from her first attack. I quickly tug my rapier away from her shoulder and jump back, needing to lean my head away to just barely avoid the swift kick.

Despite backing off to a safe distance she makes it a point to pursue me, using her quick kicks of her left foot, and then very slow attacks from her right that makes me realize each leg has a difference in speed, although as long as none of those strikes connect I will be safe.

_I can't dodge forever. I need to turn the flow._

The next time she throws her right leg I raise my right hand to intercept and form my defensive glyph, grinning when the right roundhouse kick that was aimed for my head is deflected away. Her right is extremely heavy to the impact. Clearly her right leg has more power while she left has more speed. She is quick to plant her right leg in the ground after her failed attempt and lift her left leg to throw as a follow up.

_Are you an idiot? You think I can't block a second time?_

I follow her the swift kick, lifting my hand to block the incoming kick until at the last possible second I see a spike shoot out from the heel of her footed weapon. My eyes widen to see the thin blade touch my glyph and completely shatter it like a broken mirror.

_Are you kidding me!?_

I watch as the blade continues through the broken glyph and continues for me, my only choice is to lean backwards, despite how unbalanced it will put me. It proves to keep me safe from the sharp weapon that just barely grazes my forehead, but it is clear she isn't done.

As quick as her leg was sent out, it is pulled back for her to stand upright. The earlier bracers on her wrists now completely covering her hands and forearms to resemble animal claws. I watch as one of the reinforced claws grabs the front of my shirt, yanking me upright to be the recipient of a follow-up uppercut that sends me straight into the air and also into a dizzy spell.

_How the hell did she break through my glyph?_

In my current state I am far too disoriented to do anything but look down to see if she is still on the ground. The absence of the Cheetah Faunus below leaves me unease, and a firm gust of wind that shoots upward changes my attention above me to where she now resides.

One strong hop off the ground sends her above me, executing several flips before her decent begins and her left leg starts to come down after fully stretching above her head to flaunt her flexibility, and to build momentum when it connects.

With her having a heavier form, she starts to decent much quicker, which unfortunately gives me less time to recover from the dizzying state she left me in. The grin on her face is gone, and replaced with a serious look as she measures her attack. I expect to have my face buried into the ground, but someone scoops me out of the air from my side and gets me out of the way just shortly before the strike is capable of connecting. I look up to see it's Yang, who is looking over her shoulder in disbelief. I follow her gaze and my eyes widen to see the large crater in the ground that has a 5 meter radius around Shun who slowly stands up and pulls her foot out from the dirt.

"What . . . what was that?" Blake asks, walking over towards Yang and I without prying her gaze away from Shun who patiently stands and waits.

"That . . . is her weapon in its complete form. Hantākurō is her claws, and her deadly kicks are made even deadlier thanks to her boots . . . Hantā no Hīru.

* * *

_**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I want to make things a little interactive and let you guys decide who will be Shun's next opponent . . . and yes, whoever is chosen will change the events in the chapters to come. I already have it all thought out ;3.**_

_**Well, give the usual review and feedback :D Been trying my best to update when I can!**_


	71. Round II: Punches and Kicks

**_SO, I've been working on this chapter since morning, and after having it looked over I am ready to upload it when I see I have like four reviews on this fic.  
_**

**_I got a few cons this time, and I am happy to see that. One of them was on Blake's decision making, although I think that part needs to be re-read to understand what happened, and ironically that was touched on in this chapter as well._**

**_Another reader commented on me making Shun OP or something because the situation calls for it, and that is extremely wrong. I hate overpowered OC's with a passion, and would never make my first OC that way at all. As a matter of fact, there is a clear flaw pointed out in her this chapter that is pretty game-changing._**

**_Anyway. I wanted to get this chapter out as quick as possible since I've been uploading pretty slowly. Hope you guys enjoy it, and please don't be afraid to point out anything you have questions about! I love the criticism!_**

* * *

**_POV: YANG XIAO LONG_**

**_Chapter 71 – Round II:_**

**_Kicks and Punches_**

"Don't you ever do something that dangerous again, Weiss. Last thing I need is Ruby all mopey because her Princess got hurt." I smile sitting up the stunned heiress and leaving her with Blake for the time being.

"Yang, just make the fight last as long as you can. Tire her out." Blake whispers to me then kneels down to check on Weiss.

_To think I'd have to go against her under these circumstances. This sucks._

"That's one down. I take it you're next, Yang?" Hito grins, taking several steps backwards to move away from Weiss and Blake. She's arrogant, but she's always stopped when her opponent is definitely defeated. Although I am worried just how far she is trying to take things, especially with that overkill kick of hers. She's slowly pushing herself to going all out, although she has never done that with me before, so why now?

"Naturally. Don't think I'll hold back, even for a second." I grin, following her back tracking until we are a safe distance from Blake and Weiss.

Hito and I have sparred many times before. Countless times in the gym, in Signal, and sometimes on the streets when I was pissed at her for forgetting simple things like buying me a Monster when she promised to. If anybody knows my fighting style like the back of their hand it's her. Unfortunately it can go the other way around as well. What makes it worst of all is that Hito's fighting style . . . her TRUE fighting style is purely based on kicks.

"How about we skip the foreplay, Sunflower. I already had enough of a warmup." She smirks, lifting her left leg up into the same idle stance she took against Weiss.

_I can't fight defensively against her . . . if I let her control the pace then I may as well give up._

"Fine with me. Foreplay's for the weak." I snarl and charge towards her, shooting my arms apart to trigger my Ember Celica to adapt their active form.

_Her left boot has a blade that is sharp, but fragile and can pierce aura . . . her right has a hidden blade that is slightly dull, but can pierce armor no problem._

As I charge at her I try to think which of her legs should take priority. I know all of her feints, and if she is ready to go all out, then she may try to destroy my Ember Celica since I have a range advantage.

_That's it!_

As quick as I started making my advance, I turn myself to a complete stop and begin firing at her constantly with my Babies. As expected I watch as she makes perfect use of her weapon and begins to deflect each blast with swift taps of her foot. Her left leg is much faster than I remember it, and that is going to be bad news for me, at least until I get her blades out of the equation.

While the last of my shots are being fired I quickly reach to my hips to grasp the armor-piercing bandolier and toss them into the air. To make sure things work flawlessly I need to keep firing to avoid her noticing I am about to switch ammo.

I look up, watching the bandolier to see it is now starting to fall back down towards me, making me quickly discard whatever ammo is left in my gauntlets and catch the falling rounds in the chambers to continue firing.

I'm lucky enough to have gotten the switch done as quickly as possible. She doesn't notice the switch, and with her next attempt to swat away my shot I can hear the echoing impact of shattering metal.

_Bull's-eye_.

I grin, stopping my barrage of shots to see Hito standing with her left foot completely exposed, although her right boot is still on.

"New toys from the toy box, eh?" She asks with displeasure written all over her face.

"From the very bottom of the toy box." I answer, still sporting my overconfident grin. If I can take anything out of this, I may as well take out the blade that does more damage against bare flesh and aura since the only thing on me that's armored is Ember Celica, and even then her kicks with her right leg are exceptionally slow for some reason. It's not like her to have a slow kick. She's always focused on speed.

"Shame . . . You weren't lying. You don't plan on holding back, even for a second." She takes a deep breath and takes off her right boot.

It's then that I notice something she's wearing that makes me realize what is going on with this whole situation. On her right leg is a small anklet, but it's not just any anklet. It's something only one person in this lifetime could create, a gravitational anklet that can be programed to increase the effects of gravity on it up to 100x the normal. Unfortunately, I can't see the dial on it, so I have no clue just how much weight it is pulling her down by, but I've trained with that exact same device in the past. The person who made it is none other than Uncle Qrow.

_ Seriously, Uncle Qrow? You're involved in all of this?  
_

I can't help but begin to laugh, more out of relief than anything. To think I would imagine Hito went back to the White Fang makes me feel ridiculous, but that doesn't change the fact that I still need to finish this match. Not because of the test, but because I want to see just how far I've come in comparison to her.

"I don't see why you're laughing, Yang. I don't need a blade to beat you!"

I divert my attention back to Hito who is already charging at me at full speed. Just as she nears me she makes a small hop, giving her enough height to spin herself counter-clockwise and attempt to catch me with a spinning kick from her left heel.

I make haste to enter my boxing stance and lift my left hand up to intercept the hit with the forearm guard of Ember Celica. The impact her foot makes to my weapon sends a gust of wind that sends my hair blowing, and hers as well, revealing her other eye from underneath her autumn-orange exchange brief stares, then confident smirks that tell the other we have no plans on losing.

The moment she lowers her left leg, she swings her right at the other side of me. Thanks to the awkward position she was in during her first kick, her back is towards me, but that gives her slightly more room to tweak her body and build momentum in the next strike. It's an awkward kick that has no form, but when this one connects to my right Ember Celica it is far from being as gentle as her other kick.

Thanks to her anklet, it is made clear that she has it cranked up possible about two or three levels. While that is nothing impressive to many, it still makes her kicks heavier than one would expect. Stopping power like that is something I would only expect from Ruby's Crescent Rose. The kick has no effect on me, but it does sent me sliding in the grass, and almost tripping me as I try to maintain my posture.

_Fuck that's heavy. _

I take a deep breath and lower my hands to see where Hito is. She's nowhere in front of me, and now that I think about it, through my peripheral vision I can't see the black and white contrast that Weiss and Blake's outfits have in comparison to the green grass.

_Smart move, Blake. Now where the hell is Hito?_

As I think of where she is, I get reminded of the finishing kick she tried to do to Weiss. My eyes widen in hopes of me being wrong and I look above me to see the rapidly flipping faunus tucked into a small ball. While in the air her rotations only get faster in preparation of extending out her foot when she comes back down to Earth.

_Did you seriously forget I have shotguns on my wrists?_

I watch her movements in the air, making a slight judgment of where she will be by the time my shot goes off. Satisfied with my brief mental calculation I send out a quick blast that hits right on the mark. The debris from the mild explosion coats the air, and through it I spot scraps of her claw gauntlets falling down in small chunks. I brace myself, ready to catch her body before it hits the ground, but for some reason I never see her fall.

"Armor piercing rounds . . . are you seriously trying to kill me?"

I blink, looking over my shoulder to see Hito standing there taking deep breaths. Her wrists have slight burn marks, possibly from the heated impact to her gauntlets, and then to have them shatter. It's safe to assume she used both of her gauntlets to block the attack and get away with just a few forearm burns, and quite a bit of debris on her head.

"I did say I wasn't holding back." I whisper, and immediately make my next move.

I turn towards her and shift to a dash. Her weapons are broken, and I still have Ember Celica if she tries to break away. Taking a closer look at her I can see her putting a majority of her weight on her right leg, which means her left leg must have taken a bit of damage from her landing considering she is a southpaw. When I am about five yards away I lift my right hand over my shoulder, giving a strong kick off the ground with my right leg as well to get a buildup of speed to follow through for a one punch knockout.

"Still arrogant…"

Her words are a whisper, but I hear them clear from her lips. Before my punch even has a chance to connect I see her right leg lift from the ground with speed it shouldn't be capable of having. The balls of her foot connecting to my jaw, changing my forward momentum into a straight vertical climb.

I realize I am in the same position as Weiss, but I still have enough sense to cross my arms over my chest and face to guard for what comes next. It is not surprising to see Hito eventually appearing over my form, jumping far higher than she did with Weiss, and beginning the same rotation I had interrupted earlier.

It would be simple to throw my hand out and try to shoot at her again, but the spinning sky above reminds me how disorienting that kick was. I rather not risk missing the shot and taking the incoming kick unguarded.

Eventually I feel myself begin to fall back to Remnant, and Hito's descent is not far behind. I always thought grass was soft and enjoyable to lay in, but the hard impact my body has to the grassy plains is anything but pleasant. I look up past my guard, seeing Hito's wicked grin as her rotation stops and her heel is placed far over her head. I expect to get knocked a few feet into the ground by her attack, but just before it connects there is a blinding flash.

I close my eyes to recover from the bright light, and when I do I see Weiss knelt next to me with her right hand forming a large glyph that caught Hito's kick.

"The one time you need to be a ruthless brute is the one time you are not! Yang Xiao Long you are helpless!" She remarks, holding her left wrist with her right hand to keep the glyph firm. "Blake, NOW!"

I turn my head, spotting Blake running from the direction of Hito's house. Gambol Shroud is back in her possession, but she has it over her shoulder instead of in her hand. Blake's speed is quick, and I am amazed to see her short hop onto Weiss' glyph, and grasp the back of Hito's neck, who is still disoriented from the flash from the glyph, and the shock from having her kick caught.

Blake then does the same move she did on me during our spar so long ago. She kicks off the ground with her left foot, and with her right knee she drives it into Hito's forehead, sending the Cheetah faunus into the air.

"Ruby! End it!" Blake growls. While she falls to land back on Weiss' glyph, the glyph disappears before she can land safely and instead falls to a crouch next to me.

_Wait, Ruby? Did she grab Crescent Rose?_

I gaze around for my sister, not seeing her anywhere. I then look towards Weiss who has her left hand aimed somewhere in the sky and trace where her palm is facing to see one of her large platforming glyphs sitting a distance in the air.

I keep my eye on the glyph, watching as a form appears near the glyph, upside down and squatted underneath it ready to push off.

_Rubes?_

The small form then disappears in a flurry of rose petals, definitely confirming it as my sister. As she disappears I turn my attention back to Hito who is just reaching the peak of flight thanks to Blake's hard knee. I figure her impact to the floor will be the hardest, but boy! Am I proven wrong with that one!

Ruby makes her reappearance a few feet above Hito, mimicking Hito's summersaulting and extending her leg out in the same way Hito does, although it doesn't go nearly as high. For the first time today that axe kick connects, although it was from a completely different person, and Hito goes flying straight down into the ground, visibly wincing and clenching her stomach which is where the kick connected.

"And that is for hitting Weiss!" Ruby pouts, landing gracefully on the ground in her shorts and tank top before jogging over towards the three of us.

"Bit overkill, Ruby." Blake comments, shaking her head in disapproval to Ruby's kick.

"I don't care! She wanted to train me, fine. I get taken from Weiss . . . hard to deal with, but fine. I draw the line at someone putting their hands on her . . . when I saw the bruise on her face I was totally ticked!" Ruby folds her arms in clear displeasure to knowing Weiss was hit by Hito, although I still find it peculiar that she is this calm about it all.

"Rubes, you alright?" I ask while sitting up and gazing over to Hito who is making small movements of aching pain, but she doesn't seem to be in that bad of a condition. I doubt Ruby hits that hard, and if anything the wind was possibly knocked out of her and is why she is clenching her stomach.

"Yeah. I have a feeling Uncle Qrow put her up to this . . . she had one of these." Ruby holds out her wrist to show one of Uncle Qrow's other devices that he use to use on me during endurance training. If I ever fell behind while running, that thing would just drain me, then he'd come back for me and make me keep running even though my aura was practically non-existent . . . my Uncle's a pain when it comes to training, but I love him.

"Yeah, she has one of his training weights on her right ankle, I still don't get it." I sigh, carefully shifting to my feet now that the dizziness is gone and make my way over to Hito to see she is managing her breathing with long, slow breathes.

"I showed her that one time and told her after she stretches and gets more flexible that could be an easy hit to land . . . but I didn't expect her to test the damn move out . . . ON ME NO LESS." I smile, seeing her cough after her brief shout.

"Yeah, well. Never touch her girlfriend. Now, let's clear this up right now. It was Uncle Qrow that put you up to this?" Upon mentioning his name she looks at me and lets out a loud sigh before nodding her head.

"Yeah, he told me to grab your sis, and just keep her at my place until either he gets back, or you beat him to me. He told me to make it seem like I am going to be holding her for more than a few hours and whatnot . . . I can't argue with Mister Qrow." She explains before moving up to a sitting positon.

_Seriously, Uncle Qrow? Why the hell do you like messing with us so much? Not cool._

"I swear, I'm going to-" I begin, but get cut off by Weiss and Blake arguing while the three of them come over to join me.

"That is not my fault! You should have said something, then!"

"How am I supposed to tell you something when you stepped too far from me to be discreet? Honestly, I wanted to sneak in from the get-go, but you went all 'chivalry Weiss' and wanted to take on someone with far more combat experience than you in a one on one fight. I doubt you heard me agree to her terms . . . you just walked up and said _'if that's the case, I'll step up first'_ " Blake rolls her eyes annoyed at Weiss for breaking apart from her lead and accepting Hito's challenge without a second thought.

"Blake, if that's the case. Why didn't you say anything about that to me?" I ask out of curiosity.

"Yang, if I mentioned that Weiss screwed up, it will only make you pissed, and it will destroy the already fractioned chemistry we had thanks to Ruby not being present. I knew Weiss wouldn't stand a chance . . . I wanted you to start things off to begin with." Blake takes a deep breath and kneels down next to Hito, placing her hand on her abdomen to check for any serious injuries.

"Looks like you just have a bruise . . . you don't know how to shield yourself with aura, do you?" Blake asks with surprise and accusation in her voice.

"Never needed to learn. I never go up against aura users." Hito snarks in response, "that's a lie. What I mean is I don't go up against people with offensive semblances or weapons often . . . I'm a kickboxer, remember?" Hito grins, carefully sitting herself up with a visible flinch.

"And I'm a Muay Thai fighter." Blake counters, exchanging a smile.

"And I'm a boxer." I jump in, not wanting to feel excluding from the conversation.

"Well, unlike you violent rapscallions . . . I'm an heiress." Weiss says to the three of us with a teasing smile. "Speaking of violent, Ruby, I mine was of you being a blundering dolt and causing that explosion on our first day at Beacon."

"Really!? Yay!" Ruby's position is left with a small pile of rose petals in its place from using her semblance and tacking Weiss to the floor. The adorable sight of my sister snuggling up to Weiss is pretty adorable, although Weiss is not too pleased with being tackled and proceeds to scold Ruby as she usually would, despite possibly missing Ruby the most.

"Ugh . . . Ruby, the code to that thing is 4500. Mind getting my scroll? I need to call Mister Qrow and let him know your team already got you." Hito asks of my sister who gives Weiss a quick barrage of pecks before standing up and walking towards the house while she deactivates the gauntlet, and not so surprisingly Weiss follows.

"Alright . . . Hito, why did Uncle Qrow have you do this?" I ask after Weiss and Ruby leave, hoping to get an answer with less of a crowd around.

"He wanted to test your team chemistry." She answers.

In realization Blake and I look at each other, then at Hito who reaches towards a small piece of her tanktop and takes off a small little dot that was stitched into the material.

"He told me to put one of these on my shirts so he could playback the recording when he has a chance. Based on what this picked up . . . the one who didn't sync up properly is your heiress."

_This isn't good._


	72. What's the Moral?

**_Okay, so here is chapter 72. Nothing new really happens here, although there is a large questioning concept that may get people thinking, and that is exactly what I am trying to lead people to. Some people forgot exactly what day it is in my Fanfic, and for the people that actually remember, then kudos to you. _**

**_This chapter was really easy to type since I didn't use it to progress story, but introduce a conflict that may very well change the thinking of Team RWBY's self-proclaimed 'fearless leader'_**

**_Leave me a review as always ;D Let me know if things were a hit or miss!_**

* * *

**_POV: RUBY ROSE_**

**_Chapter 72 – What's the Moral?_**

"Ruby, shouldn't you be practicing with Crescent Rose like Uncle Qrow wanted?"

I look over my shoulder to see Yang smiling at me. I'm out on the back patio on the spot furthest from the door. I have my Achilles on the nearest banister and slowly lowering to a crouch to try stretching and working a bit on my flexibility like Shun said I should.

"I doubt it. Uncle Qrow sort of made a huge point that I need to work on unarmed combat . . . so before I can even do anything I need to try getting a little more flexible." I answer with a smile to my sis.

It's been roughly an hour and a half since we left her house. After I brought her scroll to her we made sure she could stand up, which she was able to do with little problem after being given a chance to sit down, and then went inside while the four of us left. I wanted to walk back with Weiss and let Yang take Bumblebee with Blake, but Blake pulled me aside and said she wanted to talk to Weiss about a few things, so reluctantly I agreed to take Bumblebee with Yang who was equally as disappointed since she didn't get a chance to show off her driving skills to Blake.

Ever since Weiss and Blake got back, Weiss has been very quiet and very down. Each time I have made an attempt to find out what's wrong she has shrugged me off in her politest way. Right now she is in my sights, standing a few yards from the house while working on forming her glyphs with the help of Blake since Yang wanted to take a quick break to get a drink. Of course it's her Monster Energy that's in her hand that she's working on chugging down.

"Alright, but don't pull anything. Remember, don't-"

"Don't bounce . . . hold the position for about a minute, take a break, and it's important to do it 5-7 times a week. I know the drill, Yang . . . I'm training with the same person that taught you how to box." I interrupt my sister, even earning a look of surprise from her when she realizes I know a little bit more about her past with Shun than she expected me to.

"Alright, well . . . do your thing." She whispers, chugging down the rest of her energy drink and then walking off of the porch to switch places with Blake, who sits down on the patio and goes back to focusing her aura.

It's a bit of a relief to be training with my team again, even though we are all working on our own thing. It definitely beats doing quickshot training with Zwei. It was fun and all, but I felt a little lonely without having the other three in my sights. I do my best to lower myself as far as I can until I feel it become slightly painful. At that point I lock myself in that position and hold, counting up by the second, but adding the words 'king taijitsu' in between each number to make sure I count the full second instead of going slightly faster or slower than I should. Once I reach a minute, I switch to the other leg and begin the count all over again.

After the brief stretch I begin alternating with raising my knees up, and rotating them in a motion that brings them towards the center of my body, and then outside to complete the rotation. I feel a little ridiculous repeating the motions over and over again, and when I first saw Shun showing them to me I couldn't stop laughing at how weird it looked. Although my laughing stopped when the building started to shake and Shun told me to keep stretching while she checked things out. Later I found out it was Yang trying to bring the entire house down with Ember Celica.

_Okay . . . all she wants me to do is stretch my legs . . . that and she told me to . . . hmmm_ . . . _she said do core training with Yang, but cut her regiment to a fifth of the time. Wonder what she means by all that. Guess I'll ask Yang when she's done with Weiss._

Between the two stretching exercises about 3 minutes have passed. I look over my shoulder to check on Blake just in time to get caught by a small flash from her triggering her semblance. I'm surprised to see her stand up with a perfect copy of herself that sticks its tongue out at me while she gives me a playful look.

"That took about 3 and a half minutes, how long did it take yesterday?" I ask out of curiosity.

"A little over five minutes to get it right the second time, although I was a bit drained. I could have gotten my clone faster this time, but I wanted to make sure it came out perfectly. I'm sure I'll begin to feel when I can activate my semblance to get this result like second nature after a while." It's good to see Blake is determined, and after her statement her clone walks towards me and disappears after getting a step shy of me, which is also just out of Blake's capable range of maintaining it.

"Gonna go for it again?" I ask with a smile, but she shakes her head and begins heading inside.

"I'm going to wait until I get my energy back and try again. There's no logic in exhausting myself by constantly trying when I can wait a little while to build back my aura and try again." She explains, and I nod my head, deciding that Blake would know better on aura training considering she probably did a lot of it while in the White Fang.

"Oh, Ruby. Come inside, I need to talk to you about something."

I'm a little caught off guard, but I follow inside the house. Blake is already in the kitchen, and surprisingly is taking one of Yang's Monster Energy drinks. Instead of questioning her on that I let it be, and go into the fridge to get myself a small cup of milk which I would have expected Blake to favor instead.

"What's up, Blake?" I ask, following her to the living room after putting the carton back in the fridge.

After going into the living room she sits down on the sofa and pats the spot next to her. It's rare for Blake to want to speak to me away from anybody else since the only thing she use to talk to me about privately was Weiss back when I was still hiding my feelings, so for this to happen now is beyond peculiar.

I sit down next to Blake, flinching at the loud crackling sound of the can being opened, followed by a brief hiss from the air pressure being released. I remain silent, letting Blake sip from the can while I drink from my cup of milk.

"I made a bit of a screw-up, Ruby. Weiss is beating herself over the head thinking it is her fault. Yang has been pushing herself a bit harder with her training to hide it, and I have been pushing it to the back of my head for now." Blake speaks in her normal tone, un-phased by whatever stressful situation she appears to be in.

"Wait, how does Weiss know about whatever is going on?"

"I had you come with me so Yang will have time to explain the situation to Weiss."

"And the situation is?"

"Putting things simply: My slight scolding of Weiss was done a bit too early. Shun caught word of it, and Mister Qrow is going to get the idea that Weiss broke off from Yang and I. Now, depending on the kind of person Mister Qrow is, he will either talk to Weiss about what happened, or come to me since I was the person you put in charge at the time. I expect him to come to me being as I was the one in charge." I take a deep breath, trying to gauge the situation.

"No, he's going to come to me." I correct Blake after thinking about it with several moments of awkward silence.

"Why?" Blake squints and quirks an eyebrow. Glaring me down with a look of pure confusion.

"He's going to want to know why I put you in charge. Why not Yang or Weiss. On top of that he's going to want to know if I skewed it towards you since Yang is my sister and Weiss is my girlfriend. Under normal circumstances, Weiss would be best to put in charge, but I doubt she was in a situation to lead clearly, especially considering Yang had her tied up for some reason."

As I talk out loud to Blake, I try to think if those were the real reasons, especially since I am certain I will need to present these thoughts in front of Uncle Qrow and he may not be too fond of it.

"There are pros and cons to whoever you chose, Ruby. Choosing me leaves you with someone slightly more levelheaded. Weiss was certainly unstable, and Yang was just as nervous, although she did her best to conceal it. I wasn't far off, but I told myself I'll be the mentally strong one knowing that those two couldn't be."

I nod my head. That exact thought process being why I chose her. She then continues talking, going through what would have been the pros and cons of choosing either Weiss or Yang.

"Weiss, while she can be difficult, is definitely a strategist. It may have been better to choose her, but there's no telling just how mentally stable she was. Her focus would have most certainly been on getting to you, but at the same time she may be have been too aggressive or conservative in her approach. I can't picture Weiss being able to moderate between the two. Maybe Weiss would have been the better choice for saving you, but I am guessing you made your choice for a temporary, calming authority instead of putting your own 'rescue' as the priority."

My eyes widen at Blake's words. I never thought of it that way, but she's right. I didn't think of the three of them rescuing me. I figured that things would play as they may, and afterwards I would take my own leave if I found out Shun was lying, which I knew she wasn't. Everything she was doing pointed towards it being a test. From her having one of Uncle Qrow's devices, to her allowing me to communicate to my team. It was all odd behavior for a kidnapper, far too odd to be considered a true kidnapping.

"Blake I-" Just as I begin to speak, her hand raises to cut me off.

"However, you not prioritizing to get yourself out of there could be a con in itself. A team needs a leader, Ruby. Without you here our team chemistry was cut dramatically. It was a very short time, but team chemistry can only decay the longer the leader is absent. It's mental fatigue. That situation in my eyes was a 'pick your poison' sort of moment. Even if you were to have ordered us to stay put, then it could be argued to the three of us for not making a move to get our leader. I am not sure what kind of person your uncle is, or what kind of experiences he has out in the field, but he put us in a situation that there is no right answer."

Blake's explanation rips through me. I can't digest the fact that there was no correct answer, although I can't find an argument against her words at all. Uncle Qrow has always been straight forward, and I doubt he would change his method of teaching now. There's no logical explanation for all this.

"Blake . . . my head hurts." I take a deep breath and lay my head back on the sofa. There are a million different combinations to be thrown, and all of them break off into more branches of possibilities that my brain is unable to handle it, and Blake can see it.

"Ruby, relax. Here . . . lie down while I get Weiss." Blake smiles, laying me on the sofa and taking the empty cup of milk from me. While I am laid down I place my palms over my eyes and take the few moments of silence to think of what I am going to tell Uncle Qrow.

It is not long after I hear Blake leave that more frantic footsteps are heard coming towards me. When the footsteps stop I move my palms from my eyes to see Weiss standing at the arm of the sofa with her hands on her hips, and sweat dripping from her forehead thanks to her training with Yang.

"Ruby Rose, if I ever need to hear from someone else that you are not feeling well, I swear I'll never forgive you, you dunce." Weiss sighs, walking in front of me and lifting my head from the sofa just high enough so she can sit down and place my head on her lap. By her reaction I guess Blake just told Weiss that I'm not feeling good and left the reason out of it. I'm more than thankful for that.

"Sorry, Weiss. Just have a bit of a headache. Now that I think about it . . . I haven't eaten today." I blush, and Weiss only shakes her head at my realization. Her facial expression and loud sigh radiate disappointment.

"Ruby, you need to take care of yourself. Want me to make you something?" Weiss leans down, pressing her cold lips to my forehead, which draws the brightest smile to my lips. On top of the smile that was already forming from her offering to make me breakfast.

"Don't need to do that, Princess. I'm happy just to have you here. We had a great night, aside from the abduction thing, and now I finally get some time with my girlfriend on Christmas. It's perfect!"

I giggle as Weiss' eyes widen in realization. Our night of passion was the night before Christmas, and carried through into the gift giving holiday. It may not seem much like Christmas thanks to the climate on Patch, but at least it's a Christmas I can spend with my teammates, even though I have to expect hell to pay from Uncle Qrow later.

_I'm getting grey hairs from this and I'm only 16!_


	73. Mountain Glenn

**_So, here it comes. After dealing with the brief kidnapping and night of enjoyments from White Rose and Bumbleby, let us check on the situation in Mountain Glenn and see if our favorite kickass Team CFVY is having an easier time than the canon Team RWBY did. Who knows :) Maybe that planned death of mine will be happening shortly . . . or maybe not._**

**_:') it's so fun being an ass xD_**

**_Anyway, read, enjoy, review, ask any questions, positive/negative feedback. Give me it all!_**

**_Also, I just recently passed over my 100,000 view. You guys have no idea how happy that makes me! I've been thinking of making a story that will be a collection of pure one-shots I decide to do, it seems like a nice idea when I want to take a break, but still want to write. I'd like to thank LawsonHawk and UnapologeticallyAuthor for that idea._**

* * *

**_POV: ? ? ?_**

**_Chapter 73 – Mountain Glenn_**

"Alright boys, and girl . . . Let's make this quick and tidy. Yatsuhashi, you're going in through the train cars. Just make sure to move up nice and slow, we don't want any of the bastards sneaking up on us. Fox, go with him and leave a few cars early, you're flanking. Bon Bon, you're staying with me and Doc O."

I reach up with my left hand, pushing my shades up on the bridge of my nose since they were sagging off a bit. We've been sent into Mountain Glenn to search for some supposed White Fang operation that should be making a big move in the area. Honestly, I found it to be an amazing crock of shit but hell, after finding ourselves underground from trailing a couple of White Fang goons I became a quick believer that the mission was anything but a goose chase.

On our presence being discovered the entire mini-army they have hopped onto the massive train and took off. Thankfully we all made it on, leaving us to find out way to the front and shut down our locomotive friend. Sounds like a crappy rip-off of 'Unstoppable' if you ask me. Of course, with me starring the show it makes it way more bearable.

Getting back to the task at hand, with everything said and done we're now on top of a rapidly moving train. My orders given to my team and Doctor Oobleck not voicing any concerns with my commands, we all begin to move up with thankfully no resistance for now.

"I hear ticking." Velvet announces over the loud gust of wind we have to deal with.

_This is why it's always good to have a faunus on the team._

"Ticking Bon?" I ask, and she is quick to nod her head, dashing ahead of the rest of us towards the front of the train car we are standing on. While we catch up she is already kneeling down and opening a hatch exposing the shocking surprise of a ticking time bomb that is just reaching the 10 second mark. The moment it drops down to 10 we can feel the car shake briefly, realizing it is being detached from the car in front. It only takes a few quick steps and a small hop to make it across, but the sight of the detonation behind us is pretty appealing in that destructive sort of way . . . until that beauty is gone and grim pour into the subway system.

"You're fucking kidding me! I can handle beowolves and king taijitsu for days. Hell, give me a flock of Nevermore, but now we got Creeps? Where the hell is this train going anyway?" I curse under my breath, and turn around to look towards the front of the train. Doctor Oobleck pulled one of his swift slide stepping disappearances and is checking a hatch on the front of this car that is in the exact same place as the one Velvet found on the car that detonated seconds ago.

"This car is a bomb as well! We need to detach it this instant!" Doctor Oobleck shouts. Unfortunately, if he were to try to do that with his flamethrower, it would take forever to melt the material, thankfully we have ourselves a demolition expert on the team.

"Yatsuhashi, break the coupling. Fox, check the next car, and Velvet find out where the hell we're going."

The four of us dash to catch up to Doctor Oobleck who has already moved to the next car, although he makes a point to check and make sure all of us clear the car while Yatsuhashi drops down to deal with getting it broken off. Meanwhile the massive horde of grim are becoming smaller, although when this train reaches the end it will hardly be long before we are surrounded by the soulless creatures.

Fox is up ahead, checking on the next latch to hopefully find that this car is safe. Velvet is already opening her scroll, hopefully being able to get a signal and track the direction we are going in. Doctor Oobleck for once is completely still, sitting on the train car with his legs crossed, most likely thinking what we should do next since the rest of us are all doing a task and I'm trying to make sure our asses are covered for the time being.

Thankfully, I can hear a large slam, followed by the train car shaking a bit. When I look towards the rear car I see it lifting a bit, the back wheels derailing from some off-balancing strike that is courtesy of Yatsuhashi smashing the link between the two cars. With it being derailed and detached, it slows down rapidly before twisting completely perpendicular to the rail, and eventually leading it to begin barrel rolling until a heavy bounce sets off the bomb inside the spinning caboose. To the complete the sight, Yatushashi jumps up from the back end of the current car we are on and decides to move up to join Fox, a smart move on his part.

The second explosion opens up another hole, allowing more grim to come pouring in and chase the rapidly moving locomotive. Next time I get myself a team . . . I want a teacher that knows how to deactivate bombs. Maybe Goodwitch, she seems like she'll know something like that.

"C-C-Coco! Doctor!" Velvet calls out, the two of us rushing over to the rabbit faunus to look at her scroll.

"Great, just when I think things can't get worse what happens? It gets fucking worse!" I growl after looking at our movement.

"We're heading straight for Vale. This isn't good at all. My dear girl I need your scroll this instant." Oobleck demands, and Velvet is quick to hand over the scroll while we move up to join the other half of Team CFVY.

Fox and Yatsuhashi haven't given word of this car being dangerous, so hopefully that's the end of the explosive kamikaze cars. For some reason the top of the train is still vacant, despite all of us seeing the massive amount of White Fang members getting onto the train before it departed.

_They must be further up. Question is how far. It may be best to go along with the first plan and send Yatsuhashi and Fox below. In a tight space nobody can get away from Yatsuhashi's sword, plus if he's below us he won't have to worry about holding back since he won't need to worry about breaking the floor and having the debris land on someone's head._

As I debate each possibility of what to do, the silence and vacancy we were all treated to is destroyed when several Fangs climb up onto the roof of the car, clearly displeasured at having us hitching a free ride.

"Coco, there's a lot of 'em." Velvet comments, but there is no lack of confidence in her voice. Bon Bon's always been one of the quietest girls in Beacon, but she's also one of the most confident when it comes to trusting her team, and her own combat abilities. At least, now she is thanks to all the bullcrap we've gone through in the past.

"No kidding. It isn't easy being this good looking. I just rake in the needy ones." I answer back to Velvet in my attempt to lighten the mood.

Oobleck on the other hand is just finishing whatever call he had to make, and tosses the scroll to Velvet which almost gets carried away by the wind. Within seconds their numbers practically triple, leaving a sea of Faunus gang members rushing towards us with the full expectation to overpower us with sheer force. Too bad for them that I packed up a little extra bullets with my bandolier for this mission.

I reach over my left shoulder, grasping the bandolier strap to take off my handbag. The heavy material tries to drop to the ground, but I keep a firm hold, placing both hands on the handle of my bag and changing the small, compact accessory into my massive chain gun that has a large 'CC' embedded into the side in solid gold. I like to make sure all my stuff has a proper label and my precious weapon deserves the best mark of all.

"Hey, Doc. Think I can borrow that flamethrower of yours?" My question earns a smirk from Doctor Oobleck who is quick to extend his thermos into its active weapon form. As per my request, he triggers the flame to radiate from tip, leaving me the small task of lining the barrels of my chain gun up to the flames and pulling the trigger.

The quickly thought of combo turns my armor-piercing rounds into incendiary armor-piercing rounds, making quick work of mowing down the horde of White Fangs before they are even capable of getting two train cars from us.

"Yatsuhashi, Fox. Go through the train, we got it up here."

My command is obeyed without question, the two of them dropping down between cars to traverse through while Velvet, Oobleck, and I make our way up to the next train car when the situation allows. It's a patient advance, me taking down pretty much over 90% of the people dumb enough to even try getting close to us while Velvet takes out anyone who gets even remotely close to striking distance with quick, precise kicks that are just strong enough to knock 'em off the train.

Eventually about three cars ahead, Fox jumps up, holding his ground in that area which is a quick sign for the rest of us to move up. Yatsuhashi probably told him to go up from where he is and continued taking the low road by himself. It's not something uncommon for Yatsuhashi to do. He fights better when nobody is in his blast radius, it lets him abuse that monstrous strength and weapon of his to the fullest.

"Velvet, how much time do we have until this train reaches Vale?" Doctor Oobleck calls out, and Velvet is quick to pull out her scroll to check our position.

"Not enough." is her reply, followed up with her pointing straight ahead at a distant, but clear-as-day dead end.

_How the hell do we survive that!? Even if we get in the train, Velvet and Fox don't have enough armor on to handle being tossed around like that._

The contest now becomes how quick I can think before I get turned into a Coco flapjack. Now, while that may be something tasty to eat . . . I'm definitely not ready to be some grim's roadkill dinner. Talk about hanging on for survival.

_Hold on a sec, 'hang'_

I look above at the ceiling of the tunnel. It's a solid material that I can't exactly tell what it is thanks to the high speed, but I'm more than certain Fox's weapon can slice into that like cheddar. With an idea ready I close my chaingun and hang it over my shoulder when it converts back to its handbag form.

"Doc, think you can get yourself off from here? I have a plan for the three of us." I look at Doctor Oobleck who gives a nod of his head. The moment I ask he jumps into the air, letting the wind blow him off of the train car while he uses his thermos to slow himself down. With the weird, natural speed he has I'm sure he'll catch up to us no matter how late we decide to get off.

"Fox, we're jumping too. I need you to get those blades of yours into the roof." With the short explanation of my plan, I gesture for Velvet to hold onto me, while I grasp onto Fox.

In unison the three of us jump, Fox just barely able to get his blades into the roof of the tunnel, but the momentum change sending Velvet and me swinging a little bit until the momentum is killed. Velvet is the first to drop down, landing on her feet with no problem thanks to those powerful legs of hers. I'm second to drop, ending my land in a small roll since I'm not as adept at high drops as she is. Finally Fox comes down, although he uses his blades to swing towards a wall and drop down in small intervals before replanting his blades, making his drop slower, but much safer.

The three of us pay no mind to the massive horde of grim that must be catching up to us, and instead turn to follow the train that is just about to make contact with the end of the tunnel. I hope Yatsuhashi will be alright in there.

The impact is a long string of train cars pounding through the wall with an ear deafening sound. The narrow opening the leading car makes is then widened by each of the following cars until the debris blocks the aftermath of the massive collision. Despite that we continue dashing for the end of the tunnel. We already established that the railroad leads into Vale, hopefully we are lucky enough for it to just be in the outskirts.

It's a pretty long dash to the train, probably a half-mile sprint. The roaring of pissed off creatures of grim behind us is firm motivation for everyone to move at their top speed. I'd love to think this situation can't get any worse, but with my luck today, things are going to get ten times worse and I'm going to end up wishing I just bit my tongue.

"You two go rendezvous with Yatsuhashi. I'm going to wait for Doctor Oobleck."

I hate having to split us up like this. I'm always more relaxed to know my teammates are somewhere in front of me, even when I don't have the clearest sight of them. Now my worries are for Doctor Oobleck who should have been with us already.

My vision down the tunnel is limited, assisted by the poorly lit lights resting on the top and along the sides. To think they'd have a tunnel this dark is unbelievable. A beowolf could sneak up to me and I wouldn't notice until I'm spelling doggy breath.

_Damnit Coco!_

I sigh, reaching up to my face and carefully taking off my shades to see a properly lit tunnel, and the shocking sight of several grim dashing down the tunnel. The only thing missing from the fray are Nevermores. To make things worse, Doctor Oobleck is nowhere in sight, at least not in my line of sight. Maybe he already found his way out? The man is lightning fast when he walks, who knows how fast he is when he takes off at full speed.

I have no choice but to ready my gun and stand my ground. Constantly firing with my weapon on an endless swarm of grim may leave me shooting blanks in several minutes, but what else can I do? If I let these things get into the city then there are many more lives at stake. Yatsuhashi may not even be in the best condition and may need the aid of Velvet or Fox. If that happens then I can only count on getting one extra helping hand, and that won't make a difference.

_Well, I always knew I would die underground with a massive horde of grim chasing me. Though I figured I would have a sucker in my lips, and a much bigger gun._

With a deep breath I take the bandolier off my shoulder, opening up my chain gun in all its destructive glory. I've been training as a Huntress to protect those who can't protect themselves. To run now would destroy everything I've busted my ass to achieve, and unfortunately I'm not the kind of gal to go back on her word. If I can have one thing, let's hope the afterlife has my favorite clothing store.

"LET'S GET THIS OVER WITH YOU BRAINLESS ASSHOLES!"

My final scream before I open fire deep down the tunnel. As expected, the moment I mow down the first row, more simply hop over the corpses and continue on. Leading the entire charge are a large pack of beowolves, followed by a King Taijitu that doesn't seem too fond of my bullet storm. I make the point to not spare any ammo, mowing down beowolf after beowolf, then direct my attention to the rapidly closing Taijitu that makes a sharp lunge once it's just barely in its striking distance from its black half.

"Fuck you!" I shout, jumping into the air to dodge the lunging bite and landing on its head. I can feel the head tugging and shaking below me, leaving me to realize that its fangs are stuck in the ground.

_Alright, let's dance you overgrown garden snake._

From my position I hop down to its side, looking into the large, bloody red eye before I grit my teeth and slam my chaingun into it, completing the kill with several shots to make sure the job is done.

_One half down . . . one half, and a million fucking grim to go._

I turn my attention down the large serpent body, seeing the white half already making its own lunge at me. I take the chance to backtrack, just barely outstepping the strike, and using the brief break to fire on the beowolves that have started to swarm past the half-dead snake. Thankfully Beowolves and King Taijitu are much faster than Creeps and Goliaths. The two more ancient form of grim are much harder to kill, and much less common which interprets to my combat experience against them being immensely low. Fighting one without my team is the least ideal outcome, but it is bound to happen as I already established my luck is complete and utter garbage today_._

_ Maybe if I cut off one of Velvet's feet I would have an easier time._

My attempt at self-humor does little to improve my mood. I still have a second King Taijitu head to deal with, on top of more swarming beowolves. I continue to slowly backstep, blasting anything that comes into range of me while ultimately hoping for a second slip up by the gigantic grim that is being far too patient with its attacks. Every strike being a sweep, or a well measured chomp that keeps its fangs out of the dirt, bringing me to the realization that I may not be able to rely on the same kill technique twice.

Out the corner of my eye I can see a shadow moving, eventually a beowolf lunging out in an attempt to pounce. It's a futile attempt, although it is quick and successfully catches me off guard. To counter I swing my gun, batting away the beowolf, finishing the kill by sending several rounds of ammo into its stomach and head before it can recover and come after me again.

Taking the extra few shots turns out to be the worst choice I could make. I turn back around to see the King Taijitu lunging at me once more. I jump back, but I noticed the attack too late, and one of the large fangs grazes my forearm, cutting me and sending a paralytic poison into my bloodstream. It's now a race between myself and the clock. I need to get out of this tunnel before it can circulate far enough. The way my heart is racing right now, I have at most half a minute before I begin to feel woozy, not good at all.

The Taijitu, knowing it grazed me swings back around for the kill, but that's the last movement it does. I hold my gun in a prime position to swing, batting away the bite attempt and following it with a barrage of bullets that pierce through the bottom jaw of the snake until it stops its movement. The make sure it's dead I keep shooting, soon hearing the dreaded clicking sound of my empty ammo belt. Over my shoulder I see the train wreckage that's a bit off thanks to the annoying evasions I needed to do in order to keep myself alive.

_I can't waste time fighting. I need to get out of here._

With the only option I have left, my feet begin moving on their own. I peek over my shoulder, seeing beowolf after beowolf swarming over the dead reptilian body and continuing to advance towards me, followed by one of the Taijitu heads being crushed by a stampeding Creep that soon takes the lead of the pack. Out of desperation to go even a tiny bit faster I do something I could never picture myself doing in a million years . . .

I ditch my gun.

A weapon I built myself, engraved my emblem into, and have had for these past years at Beacon now laying on the tracks to be trampled on by an army of soulless creatures. I feel a portion of myself shatter. I just left behind something that practically defines who I am as a Huntress, but the train is just a few more feet away.

It's a great relief to see the dim lights from the hole created above. I rush towards the traincar closest to the torn ceiling and hop up to grab the ledge to pull myself up. A few more feet and I am out of this hellhole where hopefully Doctor Oobleck and the rest of my team are waiting.

Just as I reach for the concrete above me, a stiffness hits my entire body, followed by a numbing feeling that leaves me struggling to move.

_Nonononono! Damnit, not now! NOT FUCKING NOW!_

I scream and plead, hoping it is just the adrenaline in my body fading. My hopes of getting out of here crushed, and instead I collapse in the light protruding from the broken hole above me. With what little strength I have, I roll over, seeing the dark, sharp claws of several beowolves as they climb on top of the car and make their way towards me. To think I'd go down before I even graduate was one of the last things I ever worried about.

The things I worried about most were always the new imports my favorite clothing store got. How much cash I would get from my most recent modeling, which I usually blow on engraving my things, or getting a little trinket for Bon Bon. If not on Bon Bon, then I'd get Fox some new clothes . . . his fashion sense is just far too horrid to leave untended to, but he never bothered to wear any of the outfits I got him, and instead favored that ugly tracksuit of his. Then of course, Yatsuhashi would take time to make one of his killer hot Cocoa recipes for the team on weeknights to make sure we would all sleep well.

As I recall all the sweet gestures my team has given me, and all the amazing times we have had as friends, and as an inseparable family I begin shedding tears, wishing that those moments would not have to come to an end.

"This is simply dreadful! Have you all no manners!" The swift speaking voice of Doctor Oobleck fills my ears, and above the oncoming Beowolf is a flaming shot that hits its mark and sends the up close grim whimpering and dashing away as its fur burns.

Following the shot I can see the silhouette of Doctor Oobleck standing just outside the light beam I am motionless in. The faint light his thermos gives off from the flamethrower feature makes way for me to just barely make out that tacky explorer hat of his.

_Doc . . . you took your sweet time._

I wish I could say that out loud, but I feel myself drifting into unconsciousness. I shouldn't be, I only got grazed by that fang. It's not like it cut me deep . . . did it?

Seconds later I see three more figures drop into the mix. Two males, and one female based on their postures and hair length. A smile crosses my lips, and I let out a soft sigh, closing my eyes to let fate handle the rest. My team is back, but just before I drift away I hear an unidentified voice call out that I've never heard before.

"Glynda, Qrow keep 'em back. She has a large gash in her forearm! I need to get her out of here!"

. . . I guess my team was a little preoccupied. I hope they're okay.

* * *

**_Now the question is . . . is the rest of Team CFVY alright?_**

**_Now, I didn't want to make an assumptiion of what Velvet's weapon could be because well . . . I feel like I would be insulting her canon character if I was way off. There are just some things I refuse to make up :') So Coco's Bon Bon's weapon remains a mystery!_**


	74. A near Fatality

Okay, so just want to say a few things before this chapter begins.

First off, I was surprised to find out that the first three chapters of this fanfic were read on Youtube xD and to make it even better it is by an author whose work I have admired long before I made an account. The author's name is **_TheDarkenedRose_** and the story I am talking about is _**RWBY: The Blackening Rose**_. Totally reccomend checking them out. Also, like I said, _**TheDarkenedRose**_ is actually reading my fic on Youtube. If you guys have the time you should totally find him and give a follow. As far as I am aware of his name on YOutube is either _**The Darkened Rose **_ or _**TheDarkenedRose**_. Easiest way is to just search my story name xD.

On a second note, we learn that in this chapter our favorite Ice Cream killer has not been fighting at her full potential . . . well well well.

Also, slowly but surely this story is reaching its end, and before you all ask: Yes, there will be a sequal . . . I just want to add to my story count xD and having one story with over 300,000 words and over 100 chapters is a little antiproductive in that regard xD.

Anyway, here is the chapter, hope you all enjoy and have a wonderful day! Don't forget to leave a review, you know I am a bit of a review whore!

* * *

**_POV: NEOPOLITAN _**

**_Chapter 74 – A Near Fatality_**

_You'd think Roman would let me be further up in the train. I mean, seriously. I'm a way more capable fighter than that White Fang Lieutenant of his. He's just trying to get me killed, I know it._

_"Unfortunately, you are- . . . we are under-appreciated. I'm sure we can take care of things, and Mr Torchwick will get what he deserves soon enough." _Berry's tone echoes in my mind.

My services were not required much with the shipping movement, so I sat myself in one of the front cars to catch a small rest after the several, tiresome trips back and forth that involved cleaning out a few lone grim from the subway system. Shortly after I am being yelled and shaken awake by the orange-haired crime leader. Something about Hunters and Huntresses following the train. Before I knew it I am where I am now, in one of the train cars as an alternate means to stop them.

I can hear the White Fang above us getting pummeled, and with how poor their combat experiences are, I am not surprised.

_I am not in a mood to play around today . . . Coco, Ber. You two are up . . . if things get bad . . . Coco and Vani will take over._

_"Neo! Are you insane!? You know what happened the last time you let Coco and Vanilla assist you!" _Berry's tone echoes in my head, giving me a mild headache from how loud she was.

_These are Hunters we are dealing with, Berry! You think I kill for the fun of it!? I take care of whoever will pose a threat to us in the future. If these Hunters found us once, they will do so again, and again, and again. I am not having it! My decision is made, if you do not like it then remember that if I die, so do you!_

My short rant earns me silence, and I stand at the edge of the car, leaning against the wall while looking across the large mass of space, patiently waiting for whoever I may have the unfortunate meeting with. It is not for another few minutes that I see two people enter. One of them has autumn shaded hair with a very ugly track suit that clashes immensely with his skin color.

An insult like that coming from me should be taken severely . . . I wear brown, pink and white.

The other is a very tall man, wearing a green, short sleeved robe with armor plating over his left shoulder. I can see what appears to be the hilt of a blade peaking over his back. Upon seeing me he slowly draws his weapon, whispering something to his companion before they both make a slow advance.

_Come on you two . . . it's time._

My internal whisper is answered with my next blink. A delicate shiver erupts through my body as I am joined by two of my three manifestations.

_"I guess we're going all out . . . which one do I get to slice first?" _Coco is as bloodthirsty as ever.

_Whichever comes towards us . . . I am not in a mood to play. I want to use 'that' technique. _

_"Hmm . . . I guess with Ber I could do it. As long as she doesn't bitch and moan."_ Coco again with her quick insults.

_"I'd prefer you not be a pompous ass, Coco! If you wish to use 'that' then I suggest we do so now."_

I take a deep breath and begin walking towards the two opponents, although by their postures it appears that I will not be fighting both. Normally during a numbers advantage I am left with two overconfident people in a hyper and aggressive state, yet both of them are calm as can be which is very bothersome. Without much warning, the shorter of the two dashes towards me, forcing me to sidestep, only to realize his attack was a fake, and he made his dash towards the other side of the room.

He gives a look over his shoulder and offers a thumbs up to his partner before leaving the train car. I am quick to look back at the possibly 7-foot figure. The large blade he kept over his shoulder now being drawn, and slammed into the ground to lodge it into the floor much to my confusion.

_. . . The hell is he doing?_

The question being to myself. Coco and Berry are both gone for the most part. Once the fight begins I will be reminded that they are at my side. During most of my aura practices I began testing a theory that proves to be effective over 85% of the time. A technique that allows me to not share a body with two of my manifestations, but instead become one being, one voice, and one deadly fighter.

"I will not be holding back." I hear a soft, deep voice call out. It takes me a moment to realize it is the silent fighter standing next to his blade with his right hand open, and his left curled into a fist.

He slams his left fist into his right palm, bowing towards me without tearing his eyes away. I decide to humor the gesture, taking my umbrella that is in my right hand, and opening it up to hold over my shoulder. With my left hand I extend it outwards and cross my legs in my own makeshift bow. He is the first to stand upright, grabbing his sword immediately and holding still for a few seconds, possibly to assure I am ready.

_He is far too polite . . . Hopefully his fighting style isn't as honest._

I take a deep breath, my exhale sending a shiver through my body. It is then that I feel myself become far more relaxed than normal. Deep inside I can feel a surging surplus of aura, although with no traces of it being restricted to a portion of my soul. It is unfortunate for my opponent that he lacks the knowledge that he is fighting a person with three times the aura capacity of a normal person, but that doesn't mean I will be holding back.

Fighting with these two literally meshed together with my own soul is different than how I have fought others. There are no extra voices to offer advice. There are no mental restrictions. While Coco, Vani, and Berry are all part of my being, they are split apart into different personalities. Formulated by my own thoughts and being the angel, demon, and child of my personality. Although, now I am sharing every fiber of my body with an angel and a demon. There is a difference between fighting with them as manifestations, and fighting with them as parts of myself. It has taken me a while to realize such a thing, but now I am fully aware of it, although there are several cons to doing such a thing.

My personality is severely altered. My own mindset melding with the two I decide to complete this body-sharing with. If either of my emotions become larger than the other, then that manifestation will drive me. In short, if I am unable to remain levelheaded and get pissed . . . Coco will send me on a bloodthirsty rampage. Yet, if I remain too relaxed and optimistic, then I will of course have Berry's combat knowledge at my hand, but lose Coco's combat enhancement to my body. To make matter's worse, there is no way to end this 'fusion' until every ounce of adrenaline in my body is gone. The personality changes I go through with Berry and Coco are arrogance, determination, courtesy to my opponent . . . at least while I am keeping myself in complete balance.

_Just another person I need to crush._

With my trademark smirk smeared over my face I point my opened parasol at the tall, armored fighter who raises his sword over his head in his starting stance. Several moments pass, neither of us moving until the train car gives a light bounce, the slight change in balance making both of us charge at each other. He is the first to strike, swinging that overly large blade straight down in hopes of crushing me.

It's an easy dodge, although the small blast radius from the strong slam into the ground surprises me. The impact leaves my footing poor, granting him enough time to let go of his blade with one hand and swing the back of his hand towards me to send me flying back. When I feel his fist on my cheek, I realize that he is very heavy handed, his muscle being honestly shown by his massive frame.

_Alright. Heavy hits, but not that fast . . . just how I like them_.

I grin, dashing towards him again, noticing his brief struggle to pull the blade out of the floor before swinging it over his head and behind him in a second attempt to strike me. This time I raise up my parasol, tilting it at a very specific angle to avoid absorbing the head on strike, and instead having it slide off the side of my parasol as a method of redirecting it, and follow up b placing my parasol tip to the floor, allowing me to push off the ground, using it as leverage to swing my legs up and land three quick kicks in rapid succession to his chin before I need to pull my parasol off of the ground and acrobat myself back a few feet to get out of the range of that overgrown blade.

I watch with intrigue to see him haul his sword over his right shoulder, and with his left hand rub his chin, from my earlier attack. He is completely unaffected by my tri-kicks, and to know that he is not as fragile as the other weaklings I have had to deal with fills me with a sense of delight. Along with a need to prove my improvements throughout the years. Beating someone that is clearly resilient is something I have yet to add to my little resume. I suppose Mercury could count in that list, but it has always been a gentle spar between the two of us, mainly to better Mercury's reaction time to certain things.

This time around I am the one being charged at. If I was able to brush his attack off once with my parasol, then doing so again should be relatively effortless as long as I get the angle correct. With my parasol firmly grasped in my right hand I raise it above my head to guard from the attack, tilting it when I feel the blade is about to connect to make the attack brush off the side as it did earlier.

Through a slight momentary lapse I forget about the very tip of my parasol that protrudes outwards at the center. That slight miscalculation allowing him to slam his blade into the small protrusion and force my parasol out of my hand to go spiraling away to land somewhere behind him.

Without my parasol I am quick to hop backwards, building an immediate distance from him while I think of a way to get close to my parasol without risking having my body destroyed by his blade. The thought I have is soon gone when he steps over to my parasol, but slams his sword into the ground right next to it. He then patiently walks towards me, cracking his knuckles with an unmatched, stern glare that becomes slightly intimidating when he takes an odd stance. His left hand and foot far extend in front of his body, leaving his right hand to remain close to his torso, and right foot to be where his center of gravity is.

_Hand to hand? Challenge accepted._

I back towards him, my left hand on my hip, and right hand hanging at my side. I have no fighting form with our without my parasol. I see an attack, I block it, I move on to either defend again, or counter attack. Cinder always said I was disorganized, and too undisciplined in certain ways to be able to subconsciously use any type of stance, so instead she made me sharpen my reflexes tremendously and learn how to use my parasol to parry.

_Here comes round two._

I say to myself, my grin still smeared across my face. There is no way I can lose. The moment I shift my leg even slightly, he makes a sliding step towards me. My eyes widen at the quickness if his movements without that gigantic sword of his, and it ultimately brings up the question in my mind of how heavy it truly is. Just as he slides close enough to strike, he shoots his right palm straight at me. I give a swift spin while hitting the side of his wrist, twirling myself outside of his strike. I look at his face while he still follows through, striking the wall behind me with an audible crunch in the steel. If I'm not careful, he will surely kill me.

His hand appears to be lodged into the steel, and I take the chance to jump onto his right arm, throwing a firm punting kick to his chin while I balance myself and hop behind him before he has a chance to recover. His attacks are telegraphed thanks to his form, but at the same time they are dangerously fast.

After my mental regrouping, he has his palm freed and turns around slowly while entering his stance again. There is a small trail of blood going down the right side of his mouth, courtesy of my kick, but what has me surprised is that his hand is completely unbruised and uncut by the steel, which gives me an idea of how strong his aura is. For once I am actually fighting defensively out of fear of even one of his attacks grazing me. He is quick to advance on me again, throwing out quick left palms that graze my hair when I duck, lean and cartwheel away.

It is not until he throws another right palm that this time I turn away from him while ducking underneath it, grabbing his wrist with both arms and with every ounce of my strength I drag his heavy form over my shoulder to throw on the ground. The resulting weight makes my back crack in several places, and the pain felt when I stand up and groan. As expected he is up again, chasing me down with quick strikes to the front of the train car, leaving our weapons near the back door while our bout continues.

It has gone severely quiet above us since our fight began. In fact I can't hear a single thing going on. I should be focusing on him, and my lapse in attention to him to a minor detail of silence is rewarded with his left pal planting itself into my torso. His hand is giant, middle finger reaching the bottom of my cleavage, and his palm covering my entire stomach. I look towards him with wide eyes, a sharp pulse of a green sending me flying through the air to slam myself into the front door of the train car, breaking it and continuing my flight into the next car.

_Damnit . . . DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT_

I scream to myself, clenching my stomach in excruciating pain with my left hand. I use my right hand to help me crawl backwards with coordinated kicks of my legs. My body is partially numb from the strike, and the pain I have in my chest is not too bad possibly several bruised ribs from the impact. Any harder and I may have broken ribs and internal bleeding to go with it. As I backtrack, I look at the broken car doorway to see the large figure coming through and walking towards me with purpose written all over his face.

I begin looking around, fearful for my life at this point and desperately looking for a weapon that could help me. Off to the side I spot a lead pipe and focus my eyes on it while I try to crawl and grab it. My kicks and tugs along the floor are soon rewarded with the weapon being within two arm's lengths, and just as I am about to reach it, a large foot steps on the pipe, causing my eyes to look up and see a massive palm come flying down on my face.

_I'm sorry, Cinder._

I whisper, not feeling the final strike and wondering if it was just that quick. I open my eyes, seeing the strong arm towards the side of my head, with his palm buried in the ground. I let out a held breath, relieved to not have been a fatality in an underground train route. My eyes eventually travel up the massive arm to look at his black eyes. The stern look on his face slowly disappears and is replaced with a smile when he offers his other hand to help me up.

Despite him helping me to my feet, he still keeps a firm hold of my wrist, possibly wanting to take me in to Vale with him. The tall, silent form trudging back towards the doorway, and being the first one through it until the unthinkable happens.

A strong vibration is felt throughout the train, and seconds later the very car I am in is lifted off the tracks, spiraling in random directions. My earlier opponent having been through the doorway, forced to let me go and get trapped in the other car for his own survival. The loud noises of steel banging, and cargo shifting are of no value to me. Instead I constantly scan the flying objects, hoping something useful is sent towards me before this train car meets an impact that will have me flying into a wall. The few seconds of airtime feel like hours, and the longer I look and observe for something to help me, the longer this eternal flight feels.

I'm scared . . . truthfully scared for my life. Thanks to being fused with Coco and Berry, I can't ask Vanilla for help, meaning I don't have my teleportation at the ready. There's literally no way out.

No, I'm wrong.

I look towards the broken doorway, knowing that between the cars I can escape through the top of the train, but to make it there is such a small window of opportunity, but I have no other choice. As a nearby box passes me, I assume it to be easily twice my weight considering those specific boxes needed to be lifted by an Atlesian Paladin to be placed into the train. I take a deep breath, planting my feet to the box and lining myself up for a straight shot to the door, kicking off as firmly as I can. My trajectory is practically perfect, and I smile seeing the doorway growing closer, but before I can make it through, the train's momentum stops and I am instead sent flying into the roof of the train car. The impact unfortunately doesn't knock me unconscious, and I am wide awake as I am rag-dolled around the car, eventually falling to the ground after the movements have settled, and landing flat on my back. It's painful, dreadfully painful to even try to move. Several boxes landing on me, making me wince and cringe as their weight settles on me.

I am scared that I will die here, but not because I fear death. Whatever fears I have for my life are because I still haven't repaid the debt I owe to a certain someone. From the day we met she has been there for me, regardless of how distant she acts. She taught me how to control my excess of aura, how to fight using it, and how to deal with the mood changes I would go through randomly after losing control of myself. She has distanced herself from me several times, yet shows the kindness in her heart on the rarest of occasions. No matter what anybody says, I know who she is deep down. I know just how heartless Cinder can be, and just how caring she could be as well. But those two things comprise her of who she is. The woman whom I met that fated day in Atlas.

It is now, for the first time that I speak with my own voice after such a long while. A painful shock going through my vocal cords as I whisper the words that I desperately desire to be the final thing I were to say. Although she is not present to hear me.

"Cinder . . . I lo-"

Before I can finish my sentence, the pain in my vocal cords combined with the pain I am already going through is too much to bare, and instead I am left to go unconscious.

* * *

"Emerald, we don't have time for this. Hurry up and let's find her!"

"It's not my fault I cut my fucking finger you unsympathetic ass!"

"Look, Roman said she was in car 7, that's one away from here."

"Wait, what's that?"

The sounds of two voices venturing through the train car fills my ear and wakes me from my slumber. I can't feel my left arm, and every breath I take is painful. Eventually, a pair of footsteps gets close to me, and after sounds of rummaging, I can see a box lifted off of me, granting me a blurry sight of green hair that I know far too well.

"My god . . . Neo . . ." She whispers, continuing to take box after box off of me to free my other limbs.

I close my eyes, focusing on my breathing of all things while I am slow unburied.

"Emerald, call Cinder . . . tell her Neo's in critical condition." Mercury's voice is actually filled with worry for once. He's always been fearful of me and my mindset, yet now he is looking at me with those silver eyes of his, and running a hand along my cheek with genuine worry..

"Alright. Start bringing her out, I'll make sure there's a clear path to walk on." Emerald is quick to take off, leaving Mercury with the task if lifting me into his arms, sending countless amounts of pain through my torso. He takes recognition of my left arm that hasn't moved and is currently dangling around his side, and carefully lifts it and puts it on my stomach to keep it in a more comfortable position.

"Arm broken again . . . Cinder's gonna be pissed at you." Mercury says, trying to lighten the mood while carrying me through the train car.

Before he passes through the door, I look over his shoulder, capable of seeing through the broken doorway to the previous car, my parasol remaining there, yet further back a more shocking sight greets me. My earlier opponent lying flat on the ground with that large, orange blade impaled right through the center of his body.

This world has always been a cruel place . . . he spared my life, yet now it's his that was taken.

It times like these that bring me to remember that dreadful day I lost everything. This is the second time I should be gone . . . and for the second time Cinder will be risking her health to save me.

I have no knowledge of what her plans are. Nor how long it will take for them to be put into action. The only thing I can guarantee is that I am now owing her a second time for my life. Whether she saved me the first time for her own gain or not is unknown. Whether she will be doing so again here is also unknown.

The only thing I know, is that Cinder Fall . . . is the woman I fell for so long ago . . . and I can only hope that once this is all over that she will be the one to claim my life.

Whether it will be claimed through affection, or through a blade is still unknown to me . . . but she's the only reason I have to live on.


	75. From Shadows

_**POV: ? ? ? **_

**_Chapter 75 - From Shadows_**

"Huh?"

I feel a small vibration in my scroll. There are only a handful of people who are able to contact me, yet there is one person in particular that would contact me out of the blue, and I bet I know exactly who it is.

I reach down to my hip, feeling into the pocket of my outfit to pull out a combat device, much smaller than the current scrolls used, and capable of being pulled open to a much larger magnitude. As I open the small device, my screen is filled with a hologram from none other than an old, white-haired associate: Beacon's very own Professor Ozpin.

The message itself sums itself up as being a message for help for some poor team stuck on a runaway train, although in the message he specifically says there is an airship waiting at the edge of the island. Not even Ozpin could be sure where I am, I made sure of that. I get the idea to check who the participants of the message are, raising an eyebrow at seeing the two recipients are 'Taiyang Xiao Long' and 'Qrow Branwen'. A further analysis and I see that I am also added to the list of recipients, but I am listed under the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) list, meaning the other two have no idea this has been forwarded to me.

_Don't even think Qrow and Tai will get there on time, eh Ozpin?_

The difficulty I now have to deal with is what happens when I get there? I can easily get there before Tai and Qrow, but the ultimate difficulty will come from where the train will be on my arrival to Vale, which is the stated destination of said train.

_Well, how many underground train systems lead into Vale? Well, that and also have Grim surrounding?_

I begin to think, closing my eyes to focus on the thoughts of where said train could be, or at least the distinct path towards it. At the end of my thoughts I realize that there is only one path from Mountain Glenn to Beacon which will leave the problem of finding the correct path. The best bet would be to go towards Mountain Glenn and begin going through the subway system, although if it is indeed being flooded with Grim, then I doubt that will be a safe method. The second is to try following the tracks from above ground, which shouldn't be too hard with my scroll and some minor assumptions as to where the train is going, although I doubt it will be hard if there are giant cave ins to use as checkpoints.

"Alright . . . Mountain Glenn it is."

With a deep breath and an echoing sigh I stand up on the tree branch I perched myself on. The sturdy wood shaking to the shift of my weight. As I stand up I turn around, grasping a white mask with intricate, red designs that decorate the exterior. Above the eyeholes of the mask are a painted set of eyes, very much resembling the creatures it was meant to be based off of.

I take a second to admire the several red lines that fail to connect with each other, although the failure of connection just adds to the mysteriousness of the entire object I hold. A brief smile crosses my lips as I turn the mask around, carefully placing it over my head to cover my face. As the accessory fits perfectly around my skull, it forces most of my hair to press against my cheeks, cradling me in the silky embrace until I carefully drag my hair behind my back, which fixes the jumbled mess underneath my mask without much hassle.

On my left hip, and ready for use is my sheathed katana. The large, cylinder shaped holder houses 5 blades of the same color, but for three different colors: Red, blue, and green. With my left hand I reach over the top of the sheath, grasping onto the handle of the sheath while placing my right hand on the handle of my blade. With a flick of my left thumb I trigger the chamber to begin rotating, detaching the current blade on the sheath, and spinning until I see it line itself up with my red blades. I hold still, waiting until a familiar 'click' and supporting vibration is felt to let me know that the new blade is attached.

"Just another busy day." I whisper with a lack of amusement dripping in my words.

I am not too far from Vale, although I will possibly end up passing through Vale in order to get through Mountain Glenn. While my method of travel is much quicker than taking an airship, I am also limited by a maximum distance I can travel at one time, meaning I may need to break my travel time in two, possibly three 'jumps'.

With a red blade loaded I bend my knees just enough to enter my stance. With a quick draw of my blade I make a vertical swipe before sheathing it again, the quick slash ripping a red and black portal into existence in front of me. I take one last look at the forest around me before stepping into the portal, my entry leading me to an endless world of red and black that continues to swirl and spiral as I patiently proceed forward. A bright light appears ahead of me, widening into a large circle prior to the vision sharpening and revealing a large grassland. Clearly I did not land in Vale, although I may be close to it, or passed it.

I am cautious as I exit the portal, looking around to see trees off in the distance behind me, accompanied by slow walking Goliaths that spare me one glance before continuing on their way unaffected by my presence. To see the large grim makes me realize I surely passed Vale and Beacon considering grim that large will only have a chance to evolve to such a level after being able to sustain themselves for an unthinkable amount of time, which is only possible in areas with low human life.

it's a long shot, but I take the chance to begin looking around, although it doesn't take long for me to feel a large vibration shoot by me followed by the muffled sounds of multiple grim, completely enraged by something.

"Well . . . that's one place to start I guess." I chuckle to myself, wasting no time with doing another quick draw slash and resheathing directly below me, bringing me underneath the surface to land within the subway system I have spent all but a minute searching for. The dim lights of the long, endless tunnel fill my vision and leave me wondering just how far ahead the train is.

For some reason the thought left my head that me appearing in an underground railway system where I just heard the howling of hundreds of grim may not have been the best idea I have had before, and quite frankly it proves itself to not be when I look over my shoulder to see a swarm of beowolves that for some reason strayed from the pack that is still pursuing the long-gone train. The large herd, easily of 50 or more stand idle in a circle, not around me, but around what must be a person.

"ThisSimplyWillNotDo. I suggest you all back away now before I am forced….to use force." I raise an eyebrow at the odd speech patterns and shake my head. I assume this to be the professor based on how calm he appears to be, although being completely surrounded by grim in an area with a low ceiling is not something to be too happy with.

I figure out an easy way to get their attention and quickly put said plan to action. I kneel down on my right knee, my left hand grasping the handle of my sheath and giving the large chamber a bounce, making the bottom of it tap against the rail tracks. While the tap is gentle, the tight space makes the sound echo and resonate, drawing the attention from a good portion of the grim, and getting the attention of the trouble Hunter.

A loud growl from one of the larger beowolves results in roughly half of the group carefully surrounding me. It's clear who the pack leader is, and it is not completely mindless so to speak. Or at the very least there is some sort of developing communication, which is not uncommon among animals . . . After all, they're just overgrown canines with a hunger for flesh.

As the group finishes making its perfect circle I slowly rise back to my feet, listening carefully for any advances behind me, utilizing slow turns of my head to be able to hear a little better in my blind spots. Thankfully I am not left waiting long, and the first beowolf to charge at me comes from ahead, followed by a second charging behind the first. By first glance I guess my blade is about long enough to fully impale one beowolf and just leave a pretty scratch on the other. That is, if my sword didn't have a secondary function.

For the third time I make a swift drawing of my blade, this time impaling it through the skull of the charging beowolf. The protruding blade causes the second to stop short of the sharp tip, however it is still close enough to kill when I cause the blade itself to double in length, quickly piercing the second monster for a quick kill before my blade is withdrawn with a violent downswipe, cutting the the two bodies in half and sheathed within the same instant.

"Two down…" I whisper, my voice followed by the sound of the four halves of cut grim falling to the floor. The surprising and barely seen death of the two sends the rest into a roaring frenzy. The group that surrounds the Hunter begins to compress and start their attack, however he is quick to vault out and join my side with complete ease. I suppose he may have had the situation under control, but I don't trust in probability in times like these. Although I will admit, it's a huge thrill to have the odds stacked in the opposing team's favor.

"IdontSupposeYouHaveSomeSortOfContengencyPlanSirOrMadam?"

_. . . Overdosing on the coffee I think._

I nod my my sword out of the chamber and slicing overhead, ripping a red portal into existence. As I crouch down and leap into it, he follows without hesitation. Our reemergence happens roughly a mile away from our previous location, although this time we are that much closer towards the runaway train, which can be seen off in the distance along with an echoing scream of a woman off in the distance.

"**LET'S GET THIS OVER WITH YOU BRAINLESS ASSHOLES!"**

"That's Coco. This isn't good. Even at her level, she doesn't have the ammunition to destroy them all." He says, although I assume him to be thinking out loud. As soon as his words are uttered he is off dashing, working through the back row of grim, and attracting a grim I have seen very rarely, although this being the first time I see it up close.

It's a large, biped grim, closely resembling some sort of creature completely foreign and ancient to the eye. if my memory serves me correctly the formal name given to this monstrosity is a 'Creep'. Upon spotting the rapidly moving Huntsman that wastes no time in dispersing a large amount of beowolves, it charges towards him, causing the man to retreat towards my side. Killing something like this will not be easy, and working with someone I have never met or studied will prove to be its own handicap, although with the clear experience he has in the field I wouldn't be surprised to see just how quick he can improvise.

.As the large grim approaches I jump towards the left of the tunnel while he moves to the opposite side. The grim seeming to have predetermined who it will be chasing down perseus the Huntsman who continues his retreat while utilizing the baseball bat hybrid in his possession and revealing its other function when he fires several scorching hot bolts to the grim that cause it to snarl, but only become angrier.

_Well . . . Fire seems to do SOME damage...I wonder_

I decide it best to pursue the Creep while it is chasing down someone other than myself. The creature is clearly too fast for me to keep up, and the Huntsman has a speed that matches his outrageous ability to throw out syllable after syllable in rapid succession. While sprinting I slash and form a portal that I sprint into without pause, exiting higher in the air than when I entered and landing right on the oversized reptilian grim's back by slamming my sword into it.

The ear shattering roar that follows makes me realize that I only pissed off the creature, and as quick as I landed, I dismount to create distance between it and myself. I look over my shoulder, seeing the grim turning to chase me now, however a large fire shot to the side of its head seems to draw its attention away. However, when a second is shot the Creep is quick to duck, and instead the blast comes towards me.

_No sense in wasting a blast._

I chuckle, slashing my sword in front of me, the portal forming shortly before the fireball reaches me, absorbing the flaming shot, and soon being returned to the creature via an exit that forms above the grim for the sole purpose of returning the blast. The return of the stray blast soon turns into a game. The isolated Huntsman fires blast after blast that either hit, or come my way. As per the unspoken plan I work to return each shot until the grim becomes utterly confused, looking in every different direction the blast comes in until it backtracks into a wall and stumbles on its clawed feet.

The moment the grim shows its signs of wavering I dash in, sheathing my blade and rotating the chamber to get one of the blue blades equipped to the handle. Upon seeing my approach the Huntsman ceases his firing, allowing me ample room to finish the job. I spring with a perfect look at the grim's profile, proceeding underneath it and drawing to strike at the inverted bend in its legs, getting a firm cut through over half of each limb which begins to freeze and render the legs completely immobile.

To finish the job I stand in front of the grim, taunting it with myself being so close to its jaw that is not too far from me despite being at a much more elevated position. The creature looks down at me, clearly displeased to be left in such a wretched state, but as predicted makes an attempt to take a bite out of me by leaning forward and allowing its upper body to start collapsing with its head falling straight for me, just as planned. As the grim falls I switch to a green blade and swipe directly below me horizontally and in a much larger arch than any of my other strikes. Just as my strike is finished I jump back, letting an impressively sized green rift envelop the grim's head as it collapses. However, instead of remaining open as my red one would normally do, this one snaps shut immediately, decapitating the grim in a very clean manner.

"ImpressiveIfIdoSaySoMyself. NowWeMustGoToSaveMyStudent! IfYouCouldBeSoKindAsToCheckForThreeOthers. A Rabbit Faunus, a boy with auburn hair, and a 7-foot lad with very distinct armor and a blade a size only he can wield. Oh, my manners! Oobleck. Doctor Oobleck."

"Raven." I answer, speaking for the first time before switching blades and creating my usual rift to travel through. My arrival point is above the wreckage within the plaza of Vale. Surprisingly there are grim in sight, and the civilians are already scattered, possibly from a prior warning, or just complete fear to having a train burst through the ground. There is nothing odd so far, however when I look around I spot two unconscious forms. One a rabbit faunus, and the other having the auburn hair as described by Doctor Oobleck.

I quickly walk to the two forms, crouching down and giving a brief visual observation to see both are breathing perfectly fine, and considering there are no fatal wounds on either it means they were either knocked unconscious by a well placed attack, or fainted from exhaustion. From where I am I turn to face the train, the car that is protruding from the ground having the front door open which I find peculiar. These two couldn't have exited from the train if they have no wounds, and the second Huntress is still within the tunnel based on the rapid gunshots I hear.

I take one more gaze around, starting to walk towards the train car, but stop short when I see a form laying along the side of the car, panting heavily. He appears to be a middle aged man, top hat, orange hair, and a very classy white suit. There is no mistake in my mind that he is the infamous Roman Torchwick, and while I should be entering the train car to see what is going on, there is a very important loose end I need to tie.

"Torchwick…" I say out loud, causing the man to turn his head and look at me with a surprised expression from his bloodied lip.

"Another Fang? Haven't seen you before. Get me out of here." He commands, mistaking me for one of the White Fang, although I suppose it will help things out.

"Right away…" I answer, cutting a rift right next to him and without any sign of caution I grab him by the collar and sling him into the small gateway. His destination: several blocks down on a low rooftop. Just incase any of his associates happen to be on the way, they will have a lot of difficulty finding him now, although the proper authorities should have little to no problem spotting and apprehending a weakened criminal.

"That's one loose end…"

I proceed into the train car, moving as quietly as I can while making sure the sheath of my blade doesn't bump into anything that could create noise and give me away. I proceed through the next few cars, hearing the fighting going on off in the distance until a familiar voice of Doctor Oobleck joins the mix, possibly coming into the aid of the struggling Huntress. Much to my surprise I can also hear the voices of Qrow and Taiyang, both finally making their arrival after I took the liberty of doing a bit of stalling.

"My god . . . Neo . . ." I hear a shocked voice call out. I hug the wall of the car and peek through the opened doorway to see two people: A silver haired boy, currently moving box after box that are piled up, and a girl with emerald hair that looks on with a shocked expression on her face.

With their backs turned I take the chance to open myself yet another rift, this time stepping through and ending up in the car on the opposite side of the duo I keep my back on the wall after my exit, listening to the rest of the boxes being moved, and finally a quick command being given.

"Emerald, call Cinder . . . Tell her Neo's in critical condition."

_Cinder? . . . I wonder who she could be._

"Alright, start bringing her out. I'll make sure there's a clear path to walk on." a second voice calls out before rapid footsteps can be heard growing fainter.

"Arm broken again . . . Cinder's gonna be pissed at you." the boy sighs and begins to walk. After hearing his footsteps I peek around the corner, seeing the two figures disappear through the next car, and what appears to be a girl held carefully in his arms.

I sigh, taking the chance to observe the car I am in for the first time, and soon become shocked at the sight of a large male bleeding from his abdomen. I run over to him, looking at the large blade and making quick work to rip his shirt open to observe the wound. From where I was standing it looked like the blade completely pierced him, but up close I can see it grazed through his shirt and only cut through his hip. Aside from the several bruises along his body, most likely from being a victim of the train crash there are no other wounds. If he can survive from the blood loss, then he should pull through.

I carefully pull the blade, watching as the curved edge tugs on some of his flesh, making the wound slightly larger; although that couldn't be avoided since I need to make quick work of assisting him. With nothing to use to as a tourniquet I take the shreds of his short and improvise with wrapping it around his abdomen as many times as I can before forming a final knot to seal the wound.

"If Tai's still up there . . . he can fix this . . ."

Satisfied with what I could do, I jump from my crouching position to bring myself close to the roof of the car. Based on the earlier sounds the closest person is on the following train car, meaning there is nobody above me to get injured by what I am about to do. With an ear-breaking combo of shrieks I cut four lines into the roof of the train car, cutting out a clean square that I smack upwards with the handle of my blade so I can continue rising and land on top of the train.

I am not surprised to see the horde of grim I heard earlier easily dispelled with Qrow standing proudly in the middle of the pile and doing some small stretches to relieve the after-battle tension. Tai, fortunately has not spotted me, and is instead working on a brown-haired huntress who is completely out cold. Also added to the fray is a tall woman with blonde hair and green eyes, currently sealing part of the ceiling, and possibly leaving the train car for last. The person to notice me is Doctor Oobleck who is within my breathing space the moment I land and looks down in the car to see the injured student.

"Yatsuhashi . . . Mister Taiyang!" Oobleck turns, rushing over to the medical Huntsman, however now would be a better time than any to leave . . . being this close to them is already painful enough.

I take a deep breath, drawing my sword one final time to create a gateway behind me. I watch as Oobleck rushes over, explaining about the found huntsman, and just as I step into the portal his lilac eyes lift, seeing me just as my gateway closes, leaving me to disappear yet again, although this time as an rogue vigilante.

* * *

_**Okay, so . . . this is the final chapter for this story, and I will explain why:**_

_**Mountain Glenn was the last canon event to happen in RWBY, so since anything past here will be without a doubt pure speculation I figured I could use that as a breaking point for a little breather.**_

_**Second reason is I think 75 chapters is enough for one story xD Seriously..I don't want this to have as many chapters as a damn Naruto manga...seriously. **_

_**...Also . . . yes, I completely trolled you guys...Yatsuhashi is alive...I'm a dick, and an asshole, but you all love me (I hope).**_

_**On another note, I am a believer that Raven is Qrow's sister and Yang's mother, and the reason behind that is actually simple:**_

_**Monty, when first updating the RWBY wikia had edited Qrow's last name to be Branswen (Sound familiar?) but later took it out.**_

_**Since Monty always loved his wordplay, why would he have two people with names referring to dark-feathered birds and NOT be related? This is the great Monty Oum! We know his wordplay by now, seriously guys, come on. Plus, the resemblance and red eyes that Raven has is far too coincidental for Yang to have as a genetic trait...it all points to her guys...hate me if you want, but Raven is Taiyang's baby's Momma!**_

_**So, from here I will be doing my other story of Neo and Cinder, working on a one shot or two (request at will), and will happily answer any questions asked either through PM or review, as well as be reading all the reviews I have gotten up to this final chapter so I can improve on the next story if/when I start it.**_

_**It's been a wonderful ride, guys, thank you all for taking it with me!**_


End file.
